International Committee: Sudan on the brink of a health disaster with a cholera outbreak

May 28, 2025 (PEN) The International Rescue Committee (IRC) expressed grave concern over the resurgence of cholera in Khartoum State and other parts of Sudan, noting that the country is facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis amid ongoing conflict and the collapse of health infrastructure.

According to the committee's quoting the Sudanese Ministry of Health, more than 60,000 cholera cases and 1,600 deaths have been recorded since August 2024, including hundreds of cases reported in Khartoum alone in the past month.

The country is "on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster," said IRC Sudan Country Director Etza Yousef, noting that the cholera outbreak is being caused by a combination of conflict, displacement, collapsing infrastructure, and limited access to clean water. She emphasized that the risk of the disease spreading increases as the rainy season approaches.

The committee explained that it has expanded its response in the areas of health, water, sanitation, and hygiene in Khartoum State, focusing its efforts on four health centers, where health workers are being trained to manage cholera cases, awareness campaigns are being implemented, and water and hygiene services are being supported to reduce and control the infection.

The committee emphasized that cholera is not just a health crisis, but a direct reflection of the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by the ongoing conflict. It called on the international community to urgently increase support for humanitarian agencies, noting that 86% of the funding required for the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has not yet been met, putting millions of Sudanese at risk of not receiving aid.