Sudan is facing a rapidly worsening cholera crisis, with the World Health Organization (WHO) confirming at least 114 deaths and more than 1,300 infections across multiple states, including Darfur in the country's west and Kordofan in its centre. The WHO warned on Thursday that the true death toll is likely significantly higher, as access for response teams remains severely constrained in many affected areas. With the rainy season now underway, officials fear the outbreak could spread further, particularly among displaced populations in North Kordofan.

The situation is especially acute in Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan — a region in central Sudan to the west of the capital, Khartoum — where daily drone strikes are hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid. The case fatality rate for this outbreak stands at nearly 14 per cent, a figure the WHO describes as extremely high. Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, is a severe waterborne diarrhoeal disease that spreads rapidly when drinking water and sanitation systems are inadequate — conditions that have become the norm across much of Sudan.

This is Sudan's third cholera outbreak in as many years, beginning just two months after the previous wave was declared over in March. The WHO attributes the near-continuous cycle of outbreaks to the ongoing war, restricted humanitarian access, and limited medical supplies. More than three years of fighting between Sudan's military, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under General Hemedti has devastated the country's healthcare infrastructure. Conflict that began in Khartoum in 2023 has since spread to large parts of the country.

The broader humanitarian picture is staggering. The WHO describes Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of assistance, including 21 million who require health services. Widespread displacement caused by the fighting has cut millions of people off from essential healthcare, clean water, and sanitation — the very conditions that allow cholera to take hold and spread.

Why this matters: Sudan's cholera crisis illustrates how armed conflict can transform an endemic but manageable disease into a recurring catastrophe. With the rainy season intensifying and no end to the fighting in sight, health officials warn that the window for containing the outbreak is narrowing fast, and that without improved humanitarian access, the death toll will continue to rise.