Cholera Outbreak In Sudan Has Killed At Least 22 People, Health Minister Says

CAIRO  — Sudan has been hit by a cholera outbreak that has killed over two dozen people and affected hundreds more in recent weeks, health officials announced Sunday. The African country has been wracked by a 16-month conflict and catastrophic flooding.

According to Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, at least 22 people have died as a result of the disease, with at least 354 confirmed cases of cholera discovered across the country.

Ibrahim did not provide a time frame for the deaths or a total since the beginning of the year. According to the World Health Organisation, 78 people have died from cholera in Sudan this year as of July 28. Between January 1 and July 28, the disease infected over 2,400 other people, according to the report.

Cholera Outbreak In Sudan Has Killed At Least 22 People, Health Minister Says

Cholera is a rapidly developing, extremely contagious infection that causes diarrhea, severe dehydration, and death within hours if not treated, according to the World Health Organisation. It spreads through the consumption of contaminated food or drink.

The cholera outbreak is the latest disaster for Sudan, which was thrown into upheaval in April last year when simmering tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group erupted into open fighting across the country.

The violence has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other major centers into battlegrounds, destroying civilian infrastructure and an already shattered healthcare system. Many hospitals and medical facilities have closed due to a lack of essential supplies.

It has killed thousands of people and forced millions to starve, with hunger already confirmed in a massive displaced persons camp in Darfur’s devastated northern region.

Sudan’s turmoil has resulted in the world’s biggest displacement problem. According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 10.7 million people have been forced to escape their homes since the conflict began, and over 2 million have fled to neighbouring countries.

According to the United Nations and international rights groups, the battle has resulted in atrocities like as mass rape and racially motivated killings, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Devastating seasonal floods in recent weeks have exacerbated the anguish. Local authorities report that dozens of people have been murdered, and essential infrastructure has been washed away in 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces. According to the United Nations Migration Agency, the floods have displaced approximately 118,000 people.

Cholera isn’t uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, a prior large outbreak killed at least 700 people and infected almost 22,000 others in less than two months.

According to WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević, the outbreak started in the eastern region of Kassala and spread to nine places across five provinces.

He told The Associated Press that data showed that most identified patients were unvaccinated. He stated that the WHO is working with Sudanese health officials and partners to launch a vaccination program.

Cholera Outbreak In Sudan Has Killed At Least 22 People, Health Minister Says

Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council, meanwhile, announced on Sunday that it will send a government team to Cairo to meet with American officials. This move comes despite rising US pressure on the military to participate in current peace talks in Switzerland aimed at resolving the conflict.

The council stated in a statement that the Cairo conference will focus on the implementation of a pact between the military and the Rapid Support Forces that ordered the paramilitary organisation to leave people’s homes in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

The discussions began on August 14 in Switzerland, with officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the United Nations participating. A delegation from the RSF was in Geneva but did not attend the meetings.

SOURCE | AP