A severe cholera outbreak has occurred in Sudan, killing about 20 people and infecting hundreds more, health officials reported Sunday.
Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim confirmed that at least 22 people have died from cholera and 354 cases have been confirmed in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 78 people have died from cholera and more than 2,400 have been infected between January 1 and July 28 of this year.
Cholera is a highly contagious infection transmitted through contaminated food and water that, if untreated, can cause severe dehydration and death within hours.
The outbreak began in the eastern state of Kassala and has spread to nine districts across five states. WHO spokesman Tariq Jasarevic told The Associated Press that many cases are in unvaccinated people and that the WHO is now working with Sudanese authorities to launch a vaccination campaign.
The crisis has been exacerbated by ongoing fighting between the government-aligned Sudanese army and the RSF, which has devastated the country's infrastructure, including the health system, and caused widespread displacement and hunger.
Seasonal flooding in recent weeks has also exacerbated the situation, killing dozens of people and forcing 118,000 to evacuate across 12 states.
Amid the crisis, Sudan's military-controlled Sovereign Council announced plans to meet with US officials in Cairo to discuss peace talks and an agreement that would involve the RSF. The talks, which began in Switzerland on August 14, include diplomats from the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, the African Union, and the UN. RSF sent a delegation to Geneva but did not participate in the talks.
