OCHA: ‘Cholera outbreak escalates as Sudan health system crumbles’

Sudan’s cholera outbreak is rapidly worsening, driven by conflict, mass displacement, and a collapsed health system. According to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), since July 2024, more than 83,000 cases and 2,100 deaths have been reported, with over 32,000 suspected cases recorded in 2025 alone.

The outbreak now spans 16 of Sudan’s 18 states. Four states: El Gezira, El Gedaref, Khartoum and White Nile, account for over 70 per cent of reported cases. Khartoum alone has registered more than 22,000 suspected cases, according to the OCHA report.

“The country is facing a severe cholera outbreak amidst conflict, displacement and the collapse of public health infrastructure,” OCHA warned in its latest update.

In Khartoum, 72 per cent of health facilities are non-functional, leaving millions without access to clean water, sanitation or care. The situation in Darfur is also deteriorating. “Many areas remain cut off due to insecurity, limiting assessments and service delivery.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expanded the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) to 573 health facilities in Darfur and deployed health officers to Khartoum. WHO and UNICEF are supporting over 700 health facilities nationwide, but gaps remain.

“Insecurity, shortages of trained staff and limited functional infrastructure in high-burden areas continue to affect the quality and timeliness of treatment.”

UNICEF has provided clean water to 2.5 million people in Darfur. Yet “one in four water sources remains unsafe, and over a third of household water samples are contaminated.” Resistance to water chlorination and poor access in insecure areas continue to undermine efforts.

‘Urgent funding needs‘

Public health messaging has reached over two million people, but vaccination coverage remains critically low. “Only 1.5 per cent of cholera cases had prior vaccination,” OCHA noted, highlighting an urgent need to scale up vaccine delivery and counter misinformation.

To date, over three million oral cholera vaccine doses have been delivered, and 1.3 million people vaccinated in Khartoum. Another three million doses are in the pipeline, but “delays in campaign rollout, vaccine hesitancy and logistical gaps continue to limit scale and impact.”

Logistical bottlenecks are adding pressure. “Stockouts of critical supplies jeopardise the continuity of essential services in hard-to-reach areas.”

OCHA and partners require $50 million to sustain cholera response operations through the end of 2025. “Without it, gains may be reversed, and the outbreak could escalate, within and beyond Sudan’s borders.”