Cholera killing hundreds, sickening thousands in war-torn Sudan

Cholera is spreading in war-torn Sudan, killing at least 388 people and sickening about 13,000 others over the past two months, health authorities said, as more than 17 months of fighting between the military and a paramilitary group shows no sign of abating.

The disease is spreading in areas devastated by recent heavy rainfall and floods especially in eastern Sudan where millions of war-displaced people sheltered.

The casualties from cholera included six dead and about 400 sickened over the weekend, according to Sunday's report by the Health Ministry. The disease was detected in 10 of the country's 18 provinces, with the eastern Kassala and al-Qadarif provinces the most hit, the ministry said.

Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death within hours when not treated, according to the World Health Organization. It is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.

The disease is commonin Sudan. A previous major outbreak left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months in 2017.

Sudan was plunged into chaos in April last year when simmering tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open warfare across the country.

The fighting, which wrecked the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas, has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.

It has killed at least 20,000 people and wounded tens of thousands others, according to the UN. However, rights groups and activists say the toll was much higher.

Displacement crisis

The war also has created the world's largest displacement crisis. More than 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration. They include more than 2.3 million who fled to neighbouring countries.

Devastating seasonal floods and cholera have compounded the Sudanese misery. At least 225 people have been killed and about 900 others were injured in the floods, the Health Ministry said. Critical infrastructure has been washed away, and more than 76,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged, it said.

Famine was also confirmed in July in the Zamzam camp for displaced people, which is located about 15 kilometresfrom North Darfur's embattled capital of al-Fasher, according to global experts from the Famine Review Committee. About 25.6 million people more than half of Sudan's population will face acute hunger this year, they warned.

WATCH | Canada's family reunification unequal for refugees, says Sudanese Canadian:

Canada's family reunification unequal for refugees, says Sudanese Canadian

9 days ago

Duration 13:54

It has been seven months since Canada launched a program to reunite people in war-torn Sudan with their families in Canada. But no one has been approved yet, and some people have died waiting. Huwaida Medani, a Sudanese Canada who applied in February to bring her brother and his family over, discusses the stress shes felt worrying about her loved ones safety. She says Canada's family reunification program has "different standards for different refugees."

Fighting, meanwhile, rages in al-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that is still held by the military. The RSF has been attempting to retake it since the start of the year.

Last week, the paramilitary force and its allied Arab militias launched a new attack on the city. The military said its forces, aided by rebel groups, managed to repel the attack and kill hundreds of RSF fighters, including two senior commanders.