Cholera Outbreak in Sudan Claims Over 170 Lives Amid Health System Collapse and Ongoing Civil War
Sudan is currently grappling with a devastating cholera outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 170 people in just one week, underscoring the catastrophic collapse of the country’s health system amid an ongoing civil conflict. The outbreak has rapidly escalated, infecting thousands across several regions, with Khartoum state — the nation’s capital and largest city — bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Alarming Statistics: Over 2,700 New Infections and 172 Deaths in One Week
According to Sudan’s Ministry of Health, there have been over 2,700 new cholera infections and 172 deaths reported in just the past seven days. A staggering 90 percent of these cases are concentrated in Khartoum state, where the conflict and infrastructural failures have severely worsened living conditions for millions of residents.
This surge in cholera cases comes after weeks of escalating violence and targeted drone attacks on vital infrastructure in the capital. The paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in intense clashes with the Sudanese army since April 2023, has been blamed for these attacks. These strikes have critically disrupted water and electricity supplies, contributing directly to the worsening public health situation.
How the War Has Worsened Cholera Outbreaks in Sudan
Cholera is not new to Sudan. The disease is endemic in the region, meaning it regularly appears due to poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. However, since the outbreak of the civil war, the situation has spiraled out of control. The war has devastated Sudan’s already fragile water, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure, creating the perfect conditions for cholera to spread rapidly.
Prior to this latest surge, the Ministry of Health had already recorded over 2,300 infections and 51 deaths in a three-week period, again mostly in Khartoum. But with recent attacks on power stations and water treatment plants, the outbreak has accelerated dramatically.
Power Outages and Contaminated Water: A Deadly Combination
In early May 2025, the RSF reportedly launched multiple drone attacks targeting three major power stations across Khartoum. These attacks severely crippled the city’s electricity grid, plunging the capital into darkness and forcing many water treatment facilities to shut down.
As a result, residents have been left without access to clean, treated water, forcing them to turn to unsafe sources such as the Nile River itself. This has significantly increased the risk of cholera transmission, which occurs through ingestion of contaminated water or food.
Slaymen Ammar, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières - MSF) in Khartoum, painted a grim picture of the situation on the ground:
“Water treatment stations no longer have electricity and cannot provide clean water from the Nile.”
This statement highlights the dire failure of essential services that many civilians rely on for their basic needs. Without electricity, water purification systems are non-functional, and residents must use untreated river water, which is often contaminated with bacteria that cause cholera.
Voices from the Ground: Struggles of Everyday Sudanese Citizens
Bashir Mohamed, a resident of Omdurman, a city within greater Khartoum, described the harsh reality faced by his family:
“We now fetch water directly from the Nile, buying it from donkey carts that bring it in barrels.”
This image of residents relying on donkey carts to deliver Nile water underscores the collapse of basic infrastructure and the dangerous improvisations people must make to survive.
At Al-Nao Hospital in Omdurman — one of the few healthcare facilities still operational in the area — medical staff have witnessed the devastating consequences firsthand. A doctor at the hospital reported that many patients are suffering severe dehydration and diarrhea after drinking untreated Nile water due to the shutdown of the city’s pumping stations. He emphasized that this lack of safe drinking water is the primary driver behind the outbreak's rapid spread.
Overwhelmed Hospitals and Dire Medical Conditions
The healthcare workers on the frontline of this outbreak are overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients. With hospitals severely understaffed and under-resourced, some patients have been forced to lie on the floors of overcrowded wards due to a lack of available beds and medical personnel.
One emergency worker, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, revealed the desperate situation:
“The number of patients exceeds the hospital’s capacity. There are not enough medical staff. Some patients are lying on the floors in hospital corridors.”
This heartbreaking description paints a stark reality: the healthcare system, already strained by war and economic collapse, is now facing an unprecedented public health emergency. Hospitals have been pushed beyond their limits, struggling to provide even basic care to those affected.
Cholera: A Preventable and Treatable Disease
Cholera is a severe diarrheal illness caused by ingesting water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. If left untreated, cholera can lead to rapid dehydration and death within hours. Despite its deadly potential, cholera is both preventable and treatable, provided there is access to clean water, proper sanitation, and prompt medical treatment including oral rehydration therapy and antibiotics.
However, in Sudan’s current context, these preventive measures are difficult to implement at scale due to damaged infrastructure and ongoing violence.
Sudan’s Healthcare System on the Brink of Collapse
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued urgent warnings that Sudan’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. The country’s doctors’ union estimates that up to 90 percent of hospitals have been forced to close temporarily at some point during the conflict. Many facilities have been looted, bombed, or occupied by armed groups, further limiting access to care.
The cumulative impact of these challenges leaves millions vulnerable to infectious diseases like cholera, which thrive in environments where clean water and healthcare are unavailable.
The Human Toll of Sudan’s Prolonged Civil War
Sudan’s civil war, now entering its third year, has inflicted staggering human suffering. Tens of thousands have lost their lives, while more than 13 million people have been displaced, creating the largest displacement and hunger crisis in the world.
The conflict not only fuels violence but also exacerbates public health crises by destroying vital infrastructure, restricting humanitarian access, and forcing people into crowded, unsanitary living conditions.
What Can Be Done?
Urgent international aid and conflict resolution efforts are essential to stabilize the situation in Sudan. Restoring power to water treatment facilities, improving access to clean drinking water, and supporting healthcare workers are critical steps to controlling the cholera outbreak.
Organizations like Doctors Without Borders continue to provide life-saving treatment and advocate for humanitarian corridors to reach vulnerable populations. However, without a political solution to the ongoing conflict, these efforts face significant obstacles.
Conclusion
The recent cholera outbreak in Sudan, which has tragically killed over 170 people in just one week, is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of war on public health. The collapse of water and electricity infrastructure, driven by ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, has created conditions ripe for this deadly disease to spread rapidly.
Sudan’s healthcare system, already fragile before the war, is now on the brink of collapse, with hospitals overwhelmed and medical staff stretched thin. As the conflict drags on, the risk of further outbreaks and increased mortality remains alarmingly high.
It is imperative for the international community to prioritize humanitarian assistance, help restore essential services, and support conflict resolution efforts. Only by addressing both the health crisis and the underlying conflict can Sudan begin to heal and protect its people from preventable diseases like cholera.
