Sudan and Chad Face Cholera Threat Amid Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

The United Nations issued a warning on Friday about a looming cholera outbreak threatening the lives of refugees in Sudan’s Darfur region, where basic resources remain critically insufficient.

In the Iridimi refugee camp in Chad, many displaced persons lack access to proper sanitation and clean water, exposing them to a heightened risk of contracting cholera.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described cholera as a highly contagious waterborne disease that spreads rapidly, causing severe diarrhea and dehydration, which can lead to death within hours if left untreated. The infection is transmitted through the consumption of contaminated food or water.

Dr. Ilham Nour, WHO’s senior emergency officer, reported that over 100,000 cholera cases have been documented since July 2024.

This outbreak compounds Sudan’s ongoing crisis, which began more than two years ago when fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict initially broke out in Khartoum before spreading across the country.

Patrice Dossou Ahouansou, UNHCR’s senior coordinator for eastern Chad, warned that 230,000 refugees remain at risk unless “urgent action” is taken. So far, 264 cases and 12 deaths have been recorded in the Iridimi camp alone.

In response, UNHCR has suspended refugee relocations from border points to prevent further spread of the disease.

Since the war began, at least 20,000 people have reportedly been killed, though the actual toll is believed to be much higher. More than 14 million people have been displaced, forced to flee their homes. Sudan is now engulfed in what the UN calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The country faces escalating epidemics, famine, and atrocities as it enters its third year of conflict.