Darfur cholera death toll reaches 500 in three months

September 18, 2025 (Tawila, North Darfur) – The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Sudan’s Darfur region has risen to 500, with 17 new fatalities recorded on Tuesday, the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps said.

The cumulative number of infections has reached 12,061 since the outbreak began in June, with 135 new cases registered on Tuesday alone, according to Adam Rijal, a spokesperson for the Coordination.

The disease began to spread rapidly in July, particularly in the Tawila area, located approximately 60 km west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. The area has seen an influx of tens of thousands of people fleeing fighting in El Fasher.

The Tawila region has recorded the highest infection rates, with a total of 5,457 cases and 79 deaths. Other severely affected areas include Jebel Marra and Zalingei in Central Darfur, and Nyala and its displacement camps in South Darfur, Rijal said.

Response efforts are hampered by a shortage of intravenous fluids in most affected areas, the spokesperson said. He added that humanitarian organizations, local volunteers and authorities are making “great efforts” to combat the disease.

The fight against the outbreak is further complicated by rising infection rates and concurrent crises of malaria, child malnutrition and hunger, Rijal noted.