Darfur, Sudan — A rapidly escalating cholera outbreak has claimed at least 80 lives and infected more than 2,100 people across Sudan’s five Darfur states, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The crisis is most severe in Tawila, North Darfur, where over 1,180 cases and 20 deaths have been recorded in just six weeks.
The first confirmed case in Tawila emerged on June 21, 2025. Since then, the town—already overwhelmed by over 500,000 internally displaced people fleeing conflict—has seen a surge in infections, including 300 cases among children.
Conflict and Collapse Fueling the Outbreak
UNICEF warns that the outbreak is being intensified by ongoing violence, which has devastated healthcare infrastructure and displaced hundreds of thousands. Hospitals have been bombed, clinics shuttered, and aid convoys looted or blocked, leaving families in overcrowded camps with little access to clean water, food, or medical care.
“Severely limited access to healthcare, combined with shortages of clean water and poor sanitation, heightens the risk of cholera and other deadly diseases spreading,” UNICEF stated.
The agency estimates that over 640,000 children under five in North Darfur are at heightened risk of disease, hunger, and violence. Recent assessments show that severe acute malnutrition among children has doubled in the region over the past year—a deadly combination that increases vulnerability to cholera.
Emergency Response Underway
Despite immense challenges, UNICEF has launched a multi-sectoral response:
- Water Access: Nearly 30,000 people in Tawila now receive clean, chlorinated water daily through water trucking and rehabilitated water yards.
- Hygiene Support: Hygiene kits have reached 150,000 people in Daba Naira; chlorine tablets are being distributed for home water treatment.
- Vaccination Drive: Over 1.4 million oral cholera vaccine doses are being prepared for delivery.
- Treatment Centers: Cholera Treatment Centres are being strengthened with essential supplies including cholera kits, soap, latrine slabs, and plastic sheeting.
Community outreach efforts—both online and in-person—are also ramping up to promote early treatment and prevention. A Cholera Emergency Room has been established to coordinate the response among partner organizations.
Call for Humanitarian Access
UNICEF has urgently appealed to the Sudanese government and all parties involved in the conflict to allow safe, sustained access for humanitarian workers and supplies.
“We are working tirelessly with our partners on the ground to curb the spread and save lives,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. “But the relentless violence is increasing the needs faster than we can meet them. These children cannot wait a day longer”.
