Terrifying Cholera Outbreak in Khartoum Leaves Dozens Dead in Just Days

Sudan’s capital cities — Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri — have recorded nearly 2,500 cholera cases over the past three weeks, including 500 cases in a single day.

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) warned of a serious cholera outbreak in Khartoum State. According to a statement by the organization, the disease is spreading rapidly across the state. MSF is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to support and enhance the response to the outbreak.

The statement noted that there are currently 13 cholera treatment units operating in Khartoum State, with MSF supporting seven of them to ensure they operate at full capacity and can be expanded based on need.

The Ministry of Health reported around 2,000 suspected cholera cases over the three-week period, before the situation worsened with an additional 500 cases recorded in a single day on May 21 — representing a quarter of the total cases reported during the prior three weeks.

MSF is also supporting two cholera treatment centers in Omdurman. The organization called on donors, the United Nations, and international NGOs to urgently scale up water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts in Khartoum to help curb the outbreak.

The statement urged relevant ministries to accelerate efforts to restore electricity and water supplies in affected areas.

The ongoing outages of electricity and water across wide parts of Khartoum State have worsened the spread of epidemic diseases, including cholera, as residents are forced to rely on unsafe water sources such as shallow wells or direct extraction from the Nile.