A deadly cholera outbreak is spreading rapidly through North Darfur, Sudan, threatening thousands of children already weakened by hunger and displacement, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned.

In Tawila, a town hosting more than half a million people displaced since April, over 1,180 cholera cases — including an estimated 300 in children — and at least 20 deaths have been reported.

Across the wider Darfur region, the toll has climbed to nearly 2,140 cases and at least 80 fatalities as of July 30.

“Despite being preventable and easily treatable, cholera is ripping through Tawila and elsewhere in Darfur, threatening children’s lives, especially the youngest and most vulnerable,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in Sudan.

Crisis Worsened by Conflict and Collapse of Services

The outbreak is unfolding amid a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Since the war between rival militaries began in April 2023, Darfur’s infrastructure has been devastated, millions have been displaced, and food systems have collapsed.

With hospitals bombed and health facilities shuttered, Tawila — just 70 kilometres from the besieged state capital El Fasher — has become a focal point of overlapping crises. Lack of clean water, poor sanitation, and overcrowded camps have created ideal conditions for the disease to spread.

Famine has already been declared in at least 10 locations, including Zamzam camp, with more than a dozen areas at risk.

Children at Extreme Risk

UNICEF warns that more than 640,000 children under five in North Darfur are now at risk. Recent assessments show that cases of severe acute malnutrition in the region have doubled in the past year.

“Children whose bodies are weakened by hunger are far more likely to contract cholera and to die from it. They cannot wait a day longer,” UNICEF said.

UNICEF Scales Up Response, Calls for Funding and Access

UNICEF is urgently calling on all parties to ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access. Active fighting, looted convoys, and bureaucratic delays have hampered delivery of vaccines, medical kits, and therapeutic food.

The agency is scaling up its emergency operations in Tawila and across Darfur, distributing Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), chlorinated water, and hygiene kits. Nearly 30,000 people in Tawila now have access to safe drinking water. Awareness campaigns on prevention and early treatment are ongoing.

UNICEF plans to deliver more than 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccine and bolster treatment centres, but access remains the biggest challenge.

Since the outbreak was officially declared in August 2024, Sudan has reported over 94,000 cholera cases and 2,370 deaths across 17 of its 18 states. UNICEF urgently requires $30.6 million to sustain its emergency cholera response. (ILKHA)