Cholera ravages Sudan as over 1,200 perish amid ongoing conflict

Sudan has reported 1,205 deaths and 44,729 confirmed cases of cholera since August, according to the country's Health Ministry.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed 43 new cholera cases across several states but no additional fatalities.

The outbreak has affected 11 of Sudan's 18 states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, Al-Qadarif, Kassala, Nile River, Northern State, White Nile and Sennar.

Sudan officially declared cholera an epidemic in early August. The disease, caused by bacteria typically spread through contaminated water, leads to severe diarrhoea and dehydration and can become fatal within hours if untreated.

The cholera outbreak comes amid a broader humanitarian crisis fuelled by ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

The violence, which began in April 2023, has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced more than 14 million people, according to UN and local estimates.