The World Health Organization reported on Wednesday that a cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed 120 people, with 1,102 suspected cases recorded since May in isolated war zones. The outbreak is the third wave of cholera in as many years, beginning just two months after the previous outbreak was declared over in March 2026.
War-ravaged health system
More than three years of conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have devastated the country's healthcare infrastructure. Between July 2024 and March 2026, over 124,400 people were infected and 3,500 died during the last wave, according to government figures.
Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO's Sudan chief, noted that cholera, endemic to the northeast African country, used to occur in a cyclic manner every three years. However, he said, "due to the conflict, constraints in access and limited supplies," Sudan now faces near-continuous outbreaks.
Rainy season exacerbates spread
Sudan's rainy season is expected to intensify in coming weeks, worsening cholera cases as millions lack clean water and rains further impede access. The Sudanese government declared the latest outbreak this week in West Kordofan state, a flashpoint dividing army and RSF control.
Constant deadly drone strikes by both sides have made commercial and aid access to the Kordofan region increasingly dangerous, pushing hundreds of thousands toward starvation. The WHO said the outbreak appears to be spreading, with nearly 300 suspected cases and three deaths reported in neighboring North Kordofan.
Threat of mass atrocities
The United Nations has warned that the RSF is preparing a ground assault on North Kordofan's capital, El-Obeid. Drone strikes on the city's power stations are disrupting access to lifesaving drinking water and electricity, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said Tuesday, warning of the risk of mass atrocities.
Three years into the war, which aid groups estimate may have killed over 200,000 people, nearly all hospitals in Sudan are forced entirely or partially out of service. "Forty percent of health facilities are non-functional at all, and the remaining almost 60 percent are only partially functioning," Sahbani said, adding that they provide only a few services or insufficient care to patients.
