Sudan: cholera outbreak hits refugee camps hard

Cholera Outbreak Worsens Humanitarian Crisis for Sudanese Refugees

A deadly cholera outbreak adds to the suffering of thousands fleeing war-torn Sudan.

The United Nations has issued an urgent warning about a fast-spreading cholera outbreak affecting Sudanese refugees living in dire conditions in neighboring Chad. The hardest-hit area is the Iridimi refugee camp, where lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation is putting thousands of people many of them children at serious risk.

Waterborne Disease Spreads Quickly

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alarm, describing cholera as a highly contagious disease that spreads rapidly through contaminated food or water. If left untreated, it can cause severe dehydration and death within hours. The situation is made worse by the camp’s overcrowding and poor hygiene infrastructure.

Over 100,000 Cases Since July 2024

According to Dr. Ilham Nour, a Senior Emergency Officer at WHO, more than 100,000 cholera cases have been recorded since July 2024 across the region. This alarming figure reflects how quickly the disease has escalated and how urgently intervention is needed to prevent a full-blown health catastrophe.

Refugees Face a New Layer of Crisis

This cholera outbreak is just the latest blow to Sudanese civilians who have already been displaced by the devastating civil war. Fighting broke out more than two years ago between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), plunging the nation into chaos and triggering one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies.

UNHCR Halts Refugee Relocations

Dossou Patrice Ahouansou, the UNHCR’s Principal Situation Coordinator for Eastern Chad, reported that 264 cholera cases have already been documented in Iridimi camp, along with 12 confirmed deaths. In response, the UNHCR has paused the relocation of refugees from border areas to limit the spread of the disease.

230,000 People at Risk in Chad

Ahouansou warned that over 230,000 refugees in Chad could be exposed to cholera unless immediate action is taken. These individuals are already vulnerable—many having fled with nothing—and now face a new battle to survive as clean water becomes increasingly scarce.

A War-Torn Nation on the Brink

Sudan’s civil conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has caused untold destruction. At least 20,000 people have been killed, although the real death toll is believed to be far higher. More than 14 million people have been displaced internally or across borders, creating enormous pressure on already limited humanitarian resources.

Disease, Hunger, and Desperation

The cholera outbreak adds to a long list of humanitarian concerns in Sudan and surrounding areas. The United Nations has described the crisis as the largest humanitarian emergency in the world, with famine, mass displacement, and widespread human rights violations ongoing. Outbreaks of disease are becoming increasingly frequent due to the collapse of health services and sanitation systems.

Urgent Call for Global Attention

Aid agencies are urging the international community to respond with speed and scale to prevent a preventable disease from taking more lives. Humanitarian workers are struggling to meet the needs of refugees in remote and insecure areas, and the cholera crisis could soon spiral further without immediate support.

What Needs to Be Done

Cholera is both preventable and treatable, but time is of the essence. The priority now is to improve access to clean water, establish sanitation facilities, and distribute oral rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Without these urgent measures, more lives will be lost in a crisis that has already claimed too many.

About The Author