Latest news with #cholera
Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Paramilitaries claim capture of key Sudanese towns
The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million. (Reuters pic) PORT SUDAN : Paramilitary forces fighting Sudan's military have said they captured two strategic towns in the war-ravaged nation, which has been hit by a cholera outbreak that killed 70 people in the capital this week. For more than two years Africa's third-largest country has been engulfed by a war between the army, led by the nation's de facto ruler, general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The surge in cholera infections comes weeks after drone strikes blamed on the RSF knocked out water and electricity supplies across the capital Khartoum, which now faces a mounting health emergency. The RSF announced yesterday that its forces had retaken the key towns of Dibeibat, in South Kordofan state, and Al-Khoei, in West Kordofan state, which border South Sudan. 'The liberation of Dibeibat, followed by Al-Khoei, not only means a field victory; it also consolidates the complete control of the RSF over most of the Kordofan region,' an RSF spokesman said in a statement. Al-Khoei, located around 100km from El-Obeid – a crossroads between Khartoum and the Darfur region – had been briefly recaptured by the army this month. Residents confirmed to AFP that Dibeibat, which links the states of North and South Kordofan, was now under RSF control. The conflict has effectively split Sudan in two: the army controls the centre, east and north of the country, while paramilitaries hold almost all of Darfur in the west and parts of the south. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Cholera outbreak Last week, the military-backed government said it had dislodged RSF fighters from their last bases in Khartoum state, two months after retaking the heart of the capital from the paramilitaries. Khartoum has been a battleground throughout the war and remains devastated, with health and sanitation infrastructure barely functioning. Up to 90% of hospitals in the conflict's main battlegrounds have been forced out of service by the fighting. Now the capital is facing a major health crisis. A cholera outbreak claimed 70 lives on Tuesday and Wednesday, the health ministry for Khartoum state said yesterday. Health officials also recorded more than 2,100 new infections over the same two days. But the UN's humanitarian agency, Ocha, said it is 'difficult to assess the true scale of the outbreak' with 'significant discrepancies' in official data. The federal health ministry reported 172 deaths in the week to Tuesday, 90% of them in Khartoum state. Authorities said 89% of patients in isolation centres are recovering, but warn that deteriorating environmental conditions are driving a surge in cases. Cholera vaccinations have begun in Jebel Awila, the hardest-hit district in Khartoum, UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said yesterday. Meanwhile the World Health Organization had delivered more than 22 metric tonnes of cholera and emergency health supplies, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. 'On the brink' Cholera is endemic to Sudan, but outbreaks have become worse and more frequent since the war broke out. Since August, health authorities have recorded more than 65,000 cases and over 1,700 deaths across 12 of Sudan's 18 states. 'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' said Eatizaz Yousif, the International Rescue Committee's Sudan director. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed critical infrastructure and limited access to clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases.' Aid agencies warn that without urgent action, the spread of disease is likely to worsen with the arrival of the rainy season next month, which severely limits humanitarian access. Sudan's government also faces US sanctions over allegations by Washington that the Sudanese military used chemical weapons last year in its war against the RSF. Yesterday, Sudan's foreign ministry announced the creation of a national committee to investigate the charge, while expressing its 'disbelief in the validity of the US administration's accusations'.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Paramilitaries claim capture of key Sudan towns
PORT SUDAN, Sudan: Paramilitary forces fighting Sudan's military have said they captured two strategic towns in the war-ravaged nation, which has been hit by a cholera outbreak that killed 70 people in the capital this week. For more than two years Africa's third-largest country has been engulfed by a war between the army, led by the nation's de facto ruler, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The surge in cholera infections comes weeks after drone strikes blamed on the RSF knocked out water and electricity supplies across the capital Khartoum, which now faces a mounting health emergency. The RSF announced Thursday that its forces had retaken the key towns of Dibeibat, in South Kordofan state, and Al-Khoei, in West Kordofan state, which border South Sudan. 'The liberation of Dibeibat, followed by Al-Khoei, not only means a field victory; it also consolidates the complete control of the RSF over most of the Kordofan region,' an RSF spokesman said in a statement. Al-Khoei, located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from El-Obeid — a crossroads between Khartoum and the Darfur region — had been briefly recaptured by the army this month. Residents confirmed to AFP that Dibeibat, which links the states of North and South Kordofan, was now under RSF control. The conflict has effectively split Sudan in two: the army controls the center, east and north of the country, while paramilitaries hold almost all of Darfur in the west and parts of the south. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the military-backed government said it had dislodged RSF fighters from their last bases in Khartoum state, two months after retaking the heart of the capital from the paramilitaries. Khartoum has been a battleground throughout the war and remains devastated, with health and sanitation infrastructure barely functioning. Up to 90 percent of hospitals in the conflict's main battlegrounds have been forced out of service by the fighting. Now the capital is facing a major health crisis. A cholera outbreak claimed 70 lives on Tuesday and Wednesday, the health ministry for Khartoum state said Thursday. Health officials also recorded more than 2,100 new infections over the same two days. But the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, said it is 'difficult to assess the true scale of the outbreak' with 'significant discrepancies' in official data. The federal health ministry reported 172 deaths in the week to Tuesday, 90 percent of them in Khartoum state. Authorities said 89 percent of patients in isolation centers are recovering, but warn that deteriorating environmental conditions are driving a surge in cases. Cholera vaccinations have begun in Jebel Awila, the hardest-hit district in Khartoum, UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said Thursday. Meanwhile the World Health Organization had delivered more than 22 metric tons of cholera and emergency health supplies, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Cholera is endemic to Sudan, but outbreaks have become worse and more frequent since the war broke out. Since August, health authorities have recorded more than 65,000 cases and over 1,700 deaths across 12 of Sudan's 18 states. 'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' said Eatizaz Yousif, the International Rescue Committee's Sudan director. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed critical infrastructure and limited access to clean water is fueling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases.' Aid agencies warn that without urgent action, the spread of disease is likely to worsen with the arrival of the rainy season next month, which severely limits humanitarian access. Sudan's government also faces US sanctions over allegations by Washington that the Sudanese military used chemical weapons last year in its war against the RSF. On Thursday, Sudan's foreign ministry announced the creation of a national committee to investigate the charge, while expressing its 'disbelief in the validity of the US administration's accusations.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Cholera outbreak in Sudan capital kills 70 in two days
This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo) Port Sudan, Sudan — A cholera outbreak in Sudan's war-ravaged capital has claimed 70 lives in two days, health officials said Thursday, as Khartoum faces a mounting health emergency after more than two years of brutal conflict. The health ministry for Khartoum state said it recorded 942 new infections and 25 deaths on Wednesday, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths on Tuesday. The surge in infections comes weeks after drone strikes blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces knocked out water and electricity supplies across the capital. The city has been a battleground throughout two years of war between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The army-backed government announced last week that it had dislodged RSF fighters from their last bases in Khartoum state two months after retaking the heart of the capital from the paramilitaries. Khartoum remains devastated with health and sanitation infrastructure barely functioning. Up to 90 per cent of hospitals in the conflict's main battlegrounds have been forced out of service by the fighting. The cholera outbreak has piled further pressure on the healthcare system. The federal health ministry reported 172 deaths in the week to Tuesday, 90 per cent of them in Khartoum state. Authorities say 89 per cent of patients in isolation centres are recovering, but warn that deteriorating environmental conditions are driving a surge in cases. UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said Thursday cholera vaccinations have begun in Jebel Awila, the hardest hit district in Khartoum. 'The World Health Organization has also delivered more 22 metric tons of cholera and emergency health supplies to respond to local efforts,' Stephane Dujarric said. 'On the brink' UN humanitarian agency OCHA noted 'significant discrepancies' in official data, 'making it difficult to assess the true scale of the outbreak'. Cholera is endemic to Sudan, but outbreaks have become worse and more frequent since the war broke out. Since August 2024, health authorities have recorded more than 65,000 cases and over 1,700 deaths across 12 of Sudan's 18 states. Khartoum state alone has seen more than 7,700 cases, upwards of 1,000 in children under five, and 185 deaths since January. 'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' said Eatizaz Yousif, the International Rescue Committee's Sudan director. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed critical infrastructure and limited access to clean water is fueling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases.' Aid agencies warn that without urgent action, the spread of disease is likely to worsen with the arrival of the rainy season next month, which severely limits humanitarian access. The war between the paramilitaries and the regular army has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million since it erupted in April 2023. At least three million people fled Khartoum state alone, but more than 34,000 have returned since its recapture by the army in recent months, according to UN figures. Most have returned to find their homes devastated by the fighting, with no access to clean water or basic services. According to the UN children's agency UNICEF, more than one million children are at risk in cholera-affected areas of Khartoum.
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Cholera outbreak deepens fears for children in Sudan's capital
A developing cholera outbreak in Sudan 's war-ravaged capital has claimed 70 lives in two days, officials said on Thursday, as a UN agency warned that more than a million children are at risk in the city. The Khartoum Health Ministry said it recorded 942 new infections and 25 deaths on Wednesday, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths on Tuesday. The surge in infections is widely blamed on drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that knocked out the water and electricity supply across the Nile-side capital. The capital has been a major battleground throughout two years of war between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF, which last week lost its last footholds in the capital's greater region. Two months ago, the army regained control of the heart of the capital, ending the presence the RSF had had there since the opening days of the war. The Sudanese capital comprises three cities; Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri; Khartoum is the name commonly used to refer to the three combined. Wartime destruction Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by ingesting contaminated water or food, can kill within hours if untreated. It is easily preventable and treatable when clean water, sanitation and timely medical care are available. But the capital's health and sanitation infrastructure are barely functioning. Up to 90 per cent of hospitals in the conflict's main battlegrounds have been forced out of service by the fighting. The federal Health Ministry reported 172 deaths from cholera in the week to Tuesday, 90 per cent of them in the capital. The disease is endemic to Sudan, but outbreaks have become worse and more frequent since the war broke out in April 2023. Unicef, the UN agency for women and children, said in a Thursday report that 7,700 cases of cholera have been reported in the capital area, including 1,000 of children under five, since January this year. Cholera-related deaths numbered 185 in the capital over the same period, it said. Risk to children More than 1,700 people died of cholera in 12 of Sudan's 18 states since August 2024, when authorities declared an epidemic, said Unicef. The total number of cases stands at 65,200, it added. It said the threat of famine looms over two areas in the capital: Jabal Aoulyah and Khartoum. The two are home to a third of the 307,000 children suffering from malnutrition, it said. "Estimates point to more than one million children living in the worst-affected areas of the state of Khartoum," it added. Of these, 26,500 are suffering acute malnutrition. "For children weakened by hunger, cholera or any other disease can be deadly unless immediately treated," it added. Aid agencies are warning that without urgent action, the spread of disease is likely to worsen with the arrival of the rainy season next month, which severely limits humanitarian access. The war between the RSF and the army has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million since it broke out. The displaced include at least three million who fled the capital.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Sudan reports 70 cholera deaths in Khartoum in two days
A cholera outbreak in Sudan's Khartoum has killed at least 70 people in two days, local health authorities said. The health ministry in Khartoum state reported on Thursday 942 new infections and 25 deaths the previous day, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths the day before. The outbreak is centred around the capital city, Khartoum, which has been devastated by more than two years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city lost access to water and electricity earlier this month following drone attacks blamed on the RSF. The army-backed government announced last week that it had dislodged RSF fighters from their last bases in Khartoum State, two months after retaking the heart of the capital from the paramilitaries. The city remains devastated with health and sanitation infrastructure barely functioning. According to the federal health ministry, 172 people died of cholera in the week to Tuesday – 90 percent of them in Khartoum state alone. Aid workers say the scale of the outbreak is being worsened by the near-total collapse of health services, with about 90 percent of hospitals in key war zones no longer operational. 'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' said Eatizaz Yousif, Sudan country director for the International Rescue Committee. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and lack of clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases,' she told AFP. Since August 2024, Sudan has reported more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 1,700 deaths across 12 of its 18 states. Khartoum alone has seen 7,700 cases and 185 deaths, including more than 1,000 infections in children under five. The spread of disease is expected to worsen with the upcoming rainy season, which is likely to further restrict humanitarian access. Aid groups warn that unless urgent action is taken, the death toll could soar. According to the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, more than one million children are at risk in cholera-affected areas of Khartoum. 'We are racing against time … to provide basic healthcare, clean water and good nutrition,' said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF's representative in Sudan. 'Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition.' The war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
