Key Takeaways
- The UN reports 160 deaths amid a 70% surge in cholera cases across Sudan.
- Over 2.2 million oral cholera vaccines have been administered in the hardest‑hit states.
- OCHA and WHO confirm that two‑thirds of the population lack health‑care access and many facilities are out of service.
United Nations: UN humanitarians on Monday reported a 70 percent surge in cholera cases in strife-torn Sudan, which has prompted a scale-up of response.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned the cholera outbreak continues to worsen, with the latest surge tallied over just the past three weeks.
“As of today (Monday), nearly 5,200 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in nine states in Sudan since Sept. 26.
These cases include more than 160 deaths, according to OCHA. The data comes from Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The United Nations and humanitarian partners continue to scale up the response to the outbreak, including by supporting the detection and treatment of cases and addressing water, sanitation and hygiene issues, said OCHA.
The humanitarians said nearly 2.2 million oral cholera vaccines were administered in the worst-affected states, it said.
“About two-thirds of Sudan’s population lacks access to health care, and more than 70 percent of health facilities in conflict areas are out of service,” OCHA said. “Since the start of the war in April, the WHO has verified 60 attacks on health care in Sudan.”
