WHO Warns of Worsening Cholera Outbreak in Sudan

Moatinoon
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned today of a worsening cholera outbreak in Sudan, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis due to the threat of war, displacement, and the onset of the rainy season.

The organization said that cholera, which was declared an outbreak on June 27 and has killed at least 114 people and infected more than 1,300 others, is spreading across several states in Sudan, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, where access for aid and healthcare workers remains severely restricted.

"Cholera is back," the WHO representative in Sudan, Shibl Sahbani, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Libya.

He added: "The case fatality rate is 13.7 percent, which is very high, and of course, the rainy season is expected to worsen the situation."

Cholera is a rapidly spreading disease that causes diarrhea and can be fatal if sewage and drinking water are not adequately treated. The organization stated that Sudan is facing the worlds largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of assistance and 21 million requiring health services.

Sahbani expressed grave concern about the situation in the besieged city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, where health facilities are under immense pressure and humanitarian aid delivery is hampered by the escalating fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Earlier this month, a UN official warned that a human rights catastrophe is unfolding in the city, similar to the one witnessed in El Fasher, North Darfur state, which was captured by the Rapid Support Forces last year after a prolonged siege.

Sahbani said, "There is a risk that the city will become a second El Fasher, or even worse."