“” “The situation is more than urgent“Here is what the MSF chief of mission Tuna Turkmen said in a press release from doctors without borders published on August 14, 2025. Indeed, while Sudan has had a civil war that has been going on for more than two years, the country is now confronted with”The worst epidemic of cholera that the country has known for years”.
The UN even indicates that the cholera epidemic reached a mortality rate of 2.2%. It may seem little, but it is well above a rate of 1% which means that the disease is treated adequately.
Thus, in Sudan, against the backdrop of civil war, the epidemic threatens hundreds of thousands of children who, for lack of care, could never reach adulthood. Indeed, as the UN, Unicef and Médecins sans frontières indicate, one of the main causes of the strong dissemination of the disease is the war that rages in Sudan.
The conflicts that have declared themselves in several regions have made access to drinking water almost nonexistent, therefore making compliance with certain hygiene measures. Cholera being a diarrheal disease, transmitted by water and food contaminated by faeces (animal or human) can therefore easily be transmitted.
Even in the camps where MSF intervenes. Faced with too many cases that come to seek help either to flee war or to be treated against this disease.
“” “In Tawila, the inhabitants survive with an average of only three liters of water per day, less than half of the minimum emergency threshold fixed by the WHO at 7.5 liters per person to drink, cook and wash”Specifies the press release.
Desperately looking for water, the populations living in refugee or displaced camps sometimes have no choice but to drink contaminated water and therefore contract cholera which can be fatal in just a few hours in the absence of treatment.
And if Sudan is particularly affected, the UN is worried about a growing situation in many neighboring states since cholera would have transmitted to 30 countries around Sudan. Among the hardest affected by the epidemic, we would count: Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Yemen which is also affected by war.
Blocked humanitarian aid
War, if it is, for the most cynical, a formidable business, often brings out the worst of what can be seen in humans. And it often happens that belligerents, not only in Africa, take the right not to respect international law.
Thus, because of conflicts, humanitarian aid cannot arrive safely in time and many lives are lost in the distant margins of fights for lack of means to treat cholera.
Many road axes leading to different camps of displaced or refugees are blocked by both camps to prevent the supply of one or the other camp. Doctors and international organizations on site are even more concerned when the rainy season will start.
Indeed, rivers already contaminated by cholera could swell and therefore be led to contaminate even more people.
“” “The international response must be based on coordinated emergency actions to provide care, improve access to drinking water and sanitation services, and deploy cholera vaccination campaigns in affected areas at a rate adapted to the emergency of the situation. Each day of delay costs lives.”MSF alert in conclusion of its press release.
Source: UN / MSF
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
