The World Health Organization (WHO) said that since July last year, nearly 100,000 cases of cholera have been reported in Sudan, warning of further famine, displacement, and disease.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has killed tens of thousands. "In Sudan, relentless violence has led to widespread hunger, disease, and suffering," said WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus. "Cholera has swept across Sudan, with all states reporting outbreaks.

Nearly 100,000 cases have been reported since July last year." Oral cholera vaccination campaigns have been carried out in several states, including the capital Khartoum, he told a press conference with the Association of United Nations Correspondents in Geneva (ACANU).

"Although we are seeing a downward trend in the number of cases, there are gaps in disease surveillance and progress is fragile. Recent floods affecting large parts of the country are expected to worsen hunger and fuel further outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, and other diseases," he said.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection spread through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from feces. It causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated, although it can be treated with simple oral rehydration and antibiotics in more severe cases. Since 2021, there has been a global increase in cholera cases and their geographical spread. | BGNES, AFP