A rapidly escalating waterborne disease outbreak in southern Sudan has killed at least 24 people and hospitalised more than 800 over the past three days, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The outbreak in White Nile State follows a reported drone strike on the Um Dabakar power station, which cut off clean water access to Kosti, a major city in the region.
Sudan’s ongoing civil war has devastated the country’s healthcare system, making it difficult to contain outbreaks of disease.
MSF identified the river as the likely source of the infection, as many families have resorted to collecting water using donkey carts after the power outage disrupted normal supplies. Authorities have now banned the practice and increased chlorination efforts.
The crisis has overwhelmed Kosti Teaching Hospital’s cholera treatment centre, where patients are suffering from acute diarrhoea, dehydration, vomiting, and other severe symptoms.
“The situation is alarming and is about to get out of control,” warned Dr Francis Layoo Ocan, MSF’s medical coordinator in Kosti. With beds running out, patients are now being treated on the floor in open areas.
The number of cases has risen sharply, with 100 new admissions arriving on Wednesday night alone. By Friday afternoon, that number had surpassed 800, with 24 deaths recorded. MSF said the figures may be even higher, as keeping an accurate count has become increasingly difficult.
Sudan has been in turmoil since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The conflict has left 80% of health facilities in affected areas non-functional, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
In October, Sudan declared a cholera epidemic, with nearly 25,000 cases and 699 deaths recorded.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that cholera can be deadly within hours if untreated, though most cases can be managed with oral rehydration and antibiotics.
Meanwhile, violence escalated in White Nile State, with an RSF assault on villages north of Kosti killing over 200 people this week.
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a disturbing pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the already dire living conditions for millions.
