A cholera outbreak in South Sudan is worsening at an alarming rate, with fears growing that the disease may spread to surrounding areas, humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Friday.
The outbreak has already led to 737 reported cases in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state, more than a month after the first suspected case was detected.
“The situation in Malakal remains critical, and we are concerned that the outbreak is spreading to neighbouring areas such as Tonga and Kodok,” said Zakaria Mwatia, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan, in a statement.
Cholera is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhoea. Though treatable with antibiotics and rehydration, it can kill within hours if left untreated. The disease is typically transmitted through contaminated water and food, often in areas with poor access to sanitation.
MSF reported that its teams have established a 100-bed cholera treatment centre near Malakal Town Hospital to manage the growing caseload. However, they noted significant gaps in water and sanitation services, which are critical for containing the outbreak.
“We have been stretched thin in our response as we have had to expand our efforts to address critical gaps,” Mwatia added.
As of December 3, South Sudan has recorded 1,526 suspected and confirmed cholera cases, according to MSF.
The outbreak was first declared in late October in Renk, a town in Upper Nile State that serves as a major entry point for refugees and returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan. Over the past 18 months, more than 850,000 people have crossed from Sudan into South Sudan, further straining the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
“The ongoing influx of refugees and returnees into South Sudan continues to pose risks to the already fragile situation and puts additional pressure on an already much-overstretched health system,” MSF said.
In response to the crisis, the United Nations announced last month that it had secured over 280,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to target transmission hotspots. The outbreak has been driven by poor access to safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation infrastructure, the UN noted.
South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries, has faced ongoing challenges since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, including violence, deep-rooted poverty, and natural disasters.
