A severe cholera outbreak has resulted in 58 deaths and nearly 1,300 infections in the southern Sudanese city of Kosti within just three days, overwhelming already strained healthcare facilities.
The rapid spread of the disease is attributed to contaminated water, a consequence of damage to the city’s water supply system during the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces.
The collapse of essential services has left civilians highly vulnerable.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports that treatment centers are severely overcrowded, with patients being treated on the floor due to a shortage of beds.
Authorities have taken measures to curb the outbreak, including banning water collection from the White Nile River, suspected to be a major source of contamination, and increasing water chlorination efforts.
This recent outbreak follows a deadly cholera epidemic last year, highlighting the critical need for sustainable access to clean water and a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
