Sudan cholera outbreak kills 70 in a week

PORT SUDAN: At least 70 people have died from cholera and more than 2,200 have been infected in southern Sudan over the past week, Save the Children said Thursday, citing health ministry data.

The outbreak White Nile state capital Kosti, followed a reported drone strike on the Um Dabakar power station, 275 kilometres (170 miles) south of Khartoum, which disrupted access to clean water.

It comes as Sudan's healthcare system, crippled by a brutal civil war nearing its second year, struggles amid tens of thousands killed and over 12 million displaced.

"More than 2,200 people, including children, are now battling the deadly cholera outbreak in the city of Kosti," Save the Children said in a statement.

The humanitarian organisation said the army-aligned health ministry reported over 2,243 cholera cases -- an average of about 400 per day -- in Kosti, with at least 70 deaths between February 20 and 26.

Sudan has recorded more than 55,000 cholera cases and over 1,400 deaths since the outbreak began in August last year, the health ministry said Tuesday.

Mohamed Abdiladif, Save the Children's country director for Sudan, said hundreds of children are at risk in White Nile state.

"Children in Sudan are caught in an endless cycle of violence, disease and hunger, with devastating impact," he said.

The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has decimated the country's civilian infrastructure and medical facilities. 

At least 80 per cent of hospitals are out of service while those still functioning are running critically low on medical supplies.