Sudan faces worst cholera outbreak in years as war destroys vital infrastructure
Amid Sudan’s devastating conflict — already responsible for tens of thousands of casualties — a second, quieter battle is unfolding: the country’s worst cholera outbreak in years. According to Sudan’s Ministry of Health, cholera has already caused over 2,500 deaths, with more than 100,000 suspected cases identified across the country. ICRC teams on the ground report that the disease is spreading rapidly as more than two years of fighting damaged and destroyed essential infrastructure.
More than two years of armed conflict have devastated critical infrastructure that provides essential resources such as water and electricity, and an estimated 80% of health facilities have ceased to function. Cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water, is spreading easily due to the severe challenges its citizens face in finding clean water and food.
“Sudan is facing its worst cholera outbreak in recent years”, said José Luis Pozo, head of operations of the ICRC in Sudan. “This situation is unfolding in the middle of a devastating conflict that has destroyed infrastructure and has left millions of people without access to clean water, healthcare and other essential services.”
Doctors and nurses at Al Jazeera East Hospital in Al Bashraga, Al Jazeera State, are busy treating patients who have cholera. They are providing oral rehydration solutions and administering intravenous fluids to the most severe cases.
For Abbas Mubarak, deputy Director of Health Emergencies and Epidemic Control in Gedaref State, the epidemic is an additional challenge to an already dire situation. “The number of people with watery diarrhoea definitely has an impact on the centre's staff in terms of pressure, but we in the emergency department are working hard to raise the level of efficiency of the staff and increase the centre's capacity to accommodate patients.”
Mutasim Azhari, a local resident hospitalized with severe dehydration and stomach pain, said, “I was admitted with my brother to a cholera treatment center. They did everything they could to cure me. It was the first time I had contracted cholera. I knew what it was, so I was very afraid.”
The ICRC is focusing its emergency response on the states of Khartoum, Gedaref, North Darfur, East Darfur and Sennar, where the combination of cholera and malnutrition is most severe. Supporting health centers and rapid response teams has enabled the treatment of almost 18,000 patients and improved early detection of cases.
In North Darfur, for example, the ICRC has provided critical assistance to around 82,000 displaced people in Tawila in collaboration with the Sudanese Red Crescent and health authorities. This assistance includes the distribution of hygiene kits, access to safe drinking water, awareness campaigns and fumigation activities.
“The situation remains urgent. The rainy season is under way and the risk of new cases is high. So quick action and coordination are essential”, Pozo said.
The ICRC reminds parties to the conflict to protect civilians and essential infrastructure, which are vital to the well-being and survival of the civilian population.
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Additional information The armed conflict in Sudan began on 15 April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since then, almost 12 million people have been forcibly displaced inside or outside Sudan. Over 3 million have become refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries. Internally, Sudan now hosts the single largest internally displaced population ever reported globally. The health infrastructure has been deeply damaged: an estimated 70-80%[1] of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are no longer functioning. |
For further information please contact:
Adnan Hezam, ICRC Port Sudan, +249 9009 403 77, ahizam@icrc.org
Mateo Jaramillo Ortega, ICRC Nairobi, +254 716 897 265 mjaramillo@icrc.org
SHOTLIST
Length: 4:52
Location: Gedaref and Al Jazeera States, Sudan
Date Of Filming: 1st September 2025
Copyright: ICRC access all
On Screen Credit: ICRC written or logo
00:00 - 00:10 Wide shots of the landscape in Al Bashraga, Al Jazeera State.
00:11 - 00:24 Various shots of people walking in Al Bashraga.
SOUNDBITE Jose Luiz Pozo, Head of Operations - ICRC Sudan
00:25 - 00:53 ‘Sudan is facing its worst cholera outbreak in recent years. Since it was declared one year ago, almost one hundred thousand suspected cases have been reported and over two thousand five hundred people have lost their lives. The situation is unfolding in the middle of a devastating conflict that has destroyed infrastructure and has left millions of people without access to clean water, healthcare and other essential services.’
00:54 - 01:09 Various walking shots of Mutasim Azhari.
01:10 - 01:21 Various shots of Mutasim Azhari sleeping.
SOUNDBITE Mutasim Azhari, Resident - Al Bashraga, Al Jazeera State
01:22 - 01:56 ‘We suffered from cholera, my brother was infected, and I got it after him. After a one-month period I started to feel the symptoms as well, I was in hospital for two months. I was better off than my brother, he came down worse than I did. He had terrible diarrhoea and vomiting; I got diarrhoea and a stomach ache. I was admitted along with my brother into a cholera treatment center. They did their best to treat me, it was my first time getting cholera. I used to hear about it, so I was very fearful.’
01:57 - 02:09 Various shots of Mutasim Azhari cooking.
02:10 - 02:17 Exterior shot the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
02:18 - 02:34 Various shots of people disinfecting their hands and feet at the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
SOUNDBITE Dr. Mohamed Ali, Cholera Treatment Centre, Gedaref State
02:35 - 03:02 ‘Most cases occur when people eat food or drink water from an unknown, unchlorinated source outside the home. Sometimes we get cases from social events, most of which are due to eating food from outside the home that has not been prepared properly, resulting in watery diarrhoea and cholera.’
03:03 - 03:19 Various shots of a sick child at the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
03:20 - 03:25 Shot of Dr. Muhamed Ali treating a sick child at the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
SOUNDBITE Abbas Mubarak, Deputy Director of Health Emergencies - Gedaref State
03:26 - 03:42 ‘The number of people with watery diarrhoea has an impact on the centre's staff in terms of pressure, we in the emergency department are working hard to raise the level of efficiency of the staff and increase the centre's capacity to accommodate patients.’
03:43 - 03:59 Various shots of a doctor attending to a patient at the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
SOUNDBITE Jose Luiz Pozo, Head of Operations - ICRC Sudan
04:00 - 04:10 ‘We are working closely with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and health authorities to provide support to health facilities with supplies which are indeed saving lives.’
04:11 - 04:27 Various shots of a worker checking samples at the cholera treatment centre in Gedaref State.
SOUNDBITE Jose Luiz Pozo, Head of Operations - ICRC Sudan
04:28 - 04:36 ‘The situation remains urgent. The rainy season is under way, and the risk of new cases is high. So quick action and coordination are essential.’
04:37 - 04:52 Various shots of the pharmacy and medicines.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Adnan Hezam, ICRC Port Sudan, +249 9009 403 77, ahizam@icrc.org
Mateo Jaramillo Ortega, ICRC Nairobi, +254 716 897 265 mjaramillo@icrc.org
