Sudan’s Darfur hit by hunger deaths, cholera outbreak, UN says

July 28, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – The United Nations and a major armed group on the ground have sounded the alarm over a deadly combination of starvation and a rapidly spreading cholera outbreak in Sudan’s Darfur region, part of an escalating humanitarian crisis across the country.

The U.N. on Monday reported four hunger-related deaths last week in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people in North Darfur amid acute shortages of food and medicine.

At the same time, a severe cholera outbreak is taking hold. The U.N. said it had recorded more than 1,500 suspected cases in the Tawila area of North Darfur since June, with over 500 people currently receiving treatment.

These reports were corroborated by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), an armed group controlling territory in the region. In a statement on Sunday, the SLM declared its areas “humanitarian disaster zones,” reporting confirmed cholera cases in camps in Tawila and in Golo, Central Darfur. The group said the outbreak began on July 21 and spread quickly due to overcrowding and a lack of medical care.

The U.N. is making an urgent appeal for $120 million to contain the outbreak and provide life-saving support in Tawila for the next three months.

Soaring food prices compound the crisis in the state capital, El Fasher, where the cost of a basic food basket in May was more than six times the national average. Sugar prices have surged by 960% and sorghum by 160%, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

The reports come as the Global Hunger Index, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), has officially declared famine conditions in parts of North Darfur. The U.N. warned the situation is likely to worsen during the July-October lean season, particularly in areas of active conflict.

Despite the challenges, aid agencies distributed essential supplies to 2,000 newly-displaced families in North Darfur last week. However, the U.N. noted that nearly 60% of displaced families in the region still lack adequate shelter.