Cholera Outbreak in Sudan Claims 70 Lives Amid Ongoing Civil Conflict

In southern Sudan, a cholera outbreak has claimed at least 70 lives and infected more than 2,200 individuals within a week. The crisis has arisen amidst ongoing civil unrest, which has devastated healthcare infrastructure and limited access to clean water. UNICEF emphasizes the critical situation affecting children and warns that without adequate intervention, the outbreak will continue to escalate.

A recent cholera outbreak in southern Sudan has resulted in at least 70 fatalities and over 2,200 infections within the past week, according to Save the Children, which referenced health ministry statistics. This outbreak, centered in Kosti—capital of White Nile state—occurred following a drone strike on the Um Dabakar power station. This incident has severely hindered access to clean water in the region.

Sudan’s healthcare system, already strained due to a brutal civil conflict entering its second year, faces immense challenges as casualties from the violence exceed tens of thousands and displace more than 12 million people. Save the Children noted that more than 2,200 individuals, including children, are currently suffering from the cholera crisis in Kosti, with the health ministry reporting 2,243 cases—averaging about 400 infections daily—resulting in at least 70 deaths between February 20 and February 26.

Since the cholera outbreak began in August of last year, Sudan has documented over 55,000 cases and more than 1,400 deaths. UNICEF has corroborated the health ministry’s findings, stating that approximately 2,700 cases were reported in White Nile from January 1 to February 25, with over 500 of these cases involving children. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative to Sudan, expressed grave concerns about the ongoing destruction of humanitarian infrastructure, emphasizing the risk to children amidst these conditions.

Mr. Yett remarked, “The continued destruction of critical humanitarian infrastructure has left no child safe in this war.” He further warned that without access to clean water, hygiene, sanitation services, and effective information dissemination regarding cholera prevention, the outbreak is likely to persist. The civil war in Sudan has devastated essential civilian and medical infrastructures, with a reported 80 percent of hospitals now non-functional, while the remaining facilities operate under severe shortages of medical supplies.

The cholera outbreak in Sudan highlights the dire consequences of ongoing civil conflict on public health, particularly among the vulnerable population such as children. The significant loss of life and number of infections underscores the urgent need for humanitarian intervention and restoration of access to clean water and healthcare services. Without immediate action to address these issues, the situation is predicted to worsen, further endangering the lives of many.

Original Source: www.newarab.com