Darfur cholera outbreak kills 315 people in two months, aid group says
Large parts of the region remain under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has complicated humanitarian access.
Sudan’s Darfur region is battling a deadly cholera outbreak that has killed 315 people and sickened 7,437 in just two months, with aid groups warning of a rapidly escalating health emergency in the war-torn territory.
The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps on Friday described the epidemic as spreading “at unprecedented rates” and said international intervention is urgently needed.
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According to the group, the outbreak first appeared in June but surged dramatically in July, sweeping through displacement camps and villages across Darfur.
Large parts of the region remain under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has complicated humanitarian access.
“The cholera outbreak… is witnessing an alarming rise in daily registered cases,” spokesperson Adam Regal said, pointing to camps in Tawila, Jebel Marra, Nyala, and Zalingei as the hardest hit. He said the situation is becoming unmanageable as infections climb each day.
The scale of devastation is stark. In Tawila, where thousands displaced by fighting have taken refuge, camps have recorded 4,537 cases and 75 deaths.
In Jebel Marra, more than 1,600 cases and 83 deaths have been registered across several villages. South Darfur has also been hit hard, with over 750 cases and 119 deaths reported in camps near Nyala.
In Central Darfur, the Zalingei area has seen at least 275 cases and five deaths.
The report noted that humanitarian organisations and community volunteers are on the frontlines, delivering treatment and awareness campaigns despite severe constraints.
“Tremendous efforts” are being made, but medical supplies remain scarce, isolation facilities are insufficient, and rising cases continue to overwhelm available services.
The group warned that without urgent global support, the epidemic could spiral further, compounding suffering in a region already marked by war, hunger, and disease.
“Significant difficulties and challenges remain due to the increasing infection rates, threatening people’s lives and representing a forgotten nightmare… in a country torn by war, famine, and disease,” the statement said.
It called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) and international agencies to act quickly, warning that the Darfur crisis risks slipping from global attention even as it worsens.
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