WHO: 114 cholera deaths in Sudan, warnings of a worsening outbreak

11 July 2026 (PEN) The World Health Organization announced more than 1,330 confirmed cases and 114 deaths from cholera during the new outbreak of the disease, amid warnings that the numbers will rise as the rainy season begins and drone attacks continue to impede aid access to the besieged city of El Obeid in North Kordofan.

The WHO representative in Sudan, Shibl Sahbani, told reporters in Geneva on Friday that the death rate among those infected was 13.7%, describing it as "very high," and predicting that the situation would worsen with the start of the rainy season.

He explained that the outbreak is affecting several states, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, amid growing concern that the infection will spread to hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

Sahbani pointed out that health facilities in Al-Abyad are overcrowded, and that access to health care is extremely limited.

In the same context, the country is experiencing, in addition to cholera, outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria, meningitis, hepatitis E and measles, which increases the pressure on the fragile health system, according to the UN organization.

Sahbani acknowledged that the supplies already allocated to Al-Abyad were only sufficient for 25,000 people, saying: "This is not enough."

He noted that the organization delivered 8.5 tons of medical supplies to Kadugli and Dilling on Monday, in the first shipment to reach Kadugli since December 2024.

Sahbani renewed his call for the international community to intervene urgently to reach Al-Abyad and send more supplies, warning of the worsening risks of disease outbreaks, malnutrition and violence as conditions continue to deteriorate.

Sudan is currently facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of assistance, including 21 million in need of health services, while 13.4 million people remain displaced, including 9 million within the country.