Cholera Outbreak Worsens in War-Torn Khartoum as Sudan Faces Health Catastrophe
Over 60,000 cholera cases and 1,600 deaths have been recorded in Sudan amid ongoing conflict. Khartoum State is hardest hit, with health infrastructure in collapse.
Isaac Mintah 
A severe cholera outbreak is rapidly worsening in Khartoum State, with 942 new infections and 25 deaths reported on Wednesday, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths the day before, according to Sudan's Khartoum State Ministry of Health.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has issued a grave warning, stating it is “gravely concerned by the alarming resurgence of cholera in Khartoum and across Sudan,” amid what is already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Health System on the Brink of Collapse
Since August 2024, the federal Ministry of Health has documented over 60,000 cholera cases and more than 1,600 deaths nationwide. The deteriorating health infrastructure—crippled by a protracted civil war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—has left millions vulnerable.
“Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,” said Eatizaz Yousif, IRC’s Sudan Country Director. “The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases.”
With the rainy season approaching, health experts warn that the crisis could spiral out of control without urgent international intervention.
Khartoum State Hit Hardest
The federal ministry reported 172 cholera-related deaths in the past week alone, with 90% occurring in Khartoum State. Although officials claim that 89% of patients in isolation centers are recovering, they also warn that deteriorating environmental conditions and destroyed sanitation systems are pushing infection rates higher.
Infrastructure Destruction and RSF Withdrawal
The surge in cholera cases follows drone attacks—blamed on RSF fighters—that disabled water and power infrastructure in Khartoum. The government claims to have recently regained control over RSF strongholds in the capital, but damage to public utilities and hospitals remains extensive.
Greater Khartoum has been a key battleground in Sudan’s ongoing war, suffering widespread destruction of housing, health facilities, and sanitation systems. Up to 90% of hospitals in conflict zones are now non-operational.
Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens
URGENT: We are gravely concerned by the alarming resurgence of cholera in Khartoum State and across Sudan, as the country continues to reel from what is already a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More on the situation and how we're stepping up our response: www.rescue.org/press-releas...
[image or embed] — International Rescue Committee (@rescue.org) 27 May 2025 at 11:05
The UN has called the Sudan crisis the world's worst humanitarian disaster, with the civil war killing tens of thousands and displacing over 13 million people. Aid agencies are struggling to provide support in areas that are now almost entirely cut off from humanitarian access.
As cholera, malnutrition, and displacement converge, the risk of mass mortality grows unless swift, coordinated international aid is deployed.
