After floods, strife-torn Sudan battles cholera as disease kills 388 in two months

Devastating seasonal floods and cholera have compounded the Sudanese misery. At least 225 people have been killed and about 900 others were injured in the floods, the Health Ministry said

Cholera is spreading in war-torn Sudan, killing at least 388 people and making about 13,000 others sick over the past two months, health authorities said, as more than 17 months of fighting between the military and a paramilitary group shows no sign of abating.

The disease is spreading in areas devastated by recent heavy rainfall and floods especially in eastern Sudan where millions of war displaced people sheltered.

The casualties from cholera included six dead and about 400 ill over the weekend, according to Sunday’s report by the Health Ministry.

The disease was detected in 10 of the country’s 18 provinces with the eastern Kassala and al-Qadarif provinces the most hit, the Ministry said.

Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death within hours when not treated, according to the World Health Organization.

It is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.

The disease is not uncommon in Sudan. A previous major outbreak left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months in 2017.