Sudan;s Darfur region has been facing the worst cholera outbreak in years, claiming the lives of at least 40 people, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported on Thursday. The outbreak began a year ago hit the western region hardest. The region was already struggling between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“On top of an all-out war, people in Sudan are now experiencing the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years,” MSF said.
The organization treated 2,300 patients alone in Darfur and recorded 40 deaths last week. a total of 2,700 people died nationwide, with 99,700 suspected cases of Cholera.
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Water Shortage Adds to the Situation
The mass displacement left hundreds and thousands of people in dire need of clean water. “The situation is most extreme in Tawila, North Darfur state, where 380,000 people have fled to escape ongoing fighting around the city of El-Fasher,” MSF said, citing UN figures.
They further stated that people in Tawila survive with an average of just three litres of water per day. It is less than half the emergency minimum threshold of 7.5 litres needed per person per day for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
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Rainfall Contributes to the Crisis
Heavy rainfall has made the situation adverse by contaminating water and damaging sewage systems. MSF’s head of mission in Sudan, Tuna Turkmen, said that the situation is beyond urgent and requires as much attention as there is to control.
“The outbreak is spreading well beyond displacement camps now, into multiple localities across Darfur states and beyond. Survivors of war must not be left to die from a preventable disease,” it stated.
