A fresh wave of cholera has struck Sudan’s Darfur region for the first time since the outbreak of conflict, prompting urgent concern from Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The medical charity warned on Wednesday, June 18, that the spread of the disease into Darfur—home to vast numbers of displaced persons—is particularly dangerous due to critical shortages of clean water and proper sanitation. South Darfur has emerged as the epicentre, with Nyala Teaching Hospital recording roughly 250 cases since late May, following an earlier surge of 2,500 cases in the capital, Khartoum.
In a swift response, MSF has launched a dedicated cholera treatment centre in Nyala and extended its support to two additional facilities in El Geneina, West Darfur. The organisation stressed the urgency of a coordinated international response, calling on UN agencies and NGOs to mobilise financial resources, medical personnel, and essential supplies. Without robust intervention, MSF cautioned, the outbreak could intensify rapidly among vulnerable populations already displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, efforts to combat the health crisis received a boost as a Turkish humanitarian flight touched down in Port Sudan, delivering 37 tons of intravenous fluids and other critical medical materials. While this gesture signals international solidarity, health experts insist sustained logistical and financial commitments are crucial to containing the outbreak and safeguarding millions at risk in Sudan’s embattled regions.