A devastating cholera outbreak is spreading rapidly in North Darfur, Sudan, putting over 640,000 children under severe threat. The World Health Organization’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned of the crisis, citing hunger and displacement as exacerbating factors.
As of July 30, nearly 2,140 cholera cases and at least 80 fatalities have been reported in the Darfur region, with more than 1,180 cases in Tawila town alone. The situation is dire, with hospitals bombed and health facilities shuttered, leaving children vulnerable to contracting the disease.
UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett said, “Despite being preventable and easily treatable, cholera is ripping through Tawila and elsewhere in Darfur, threatening children’s lives, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.” The agency is scaling up its emergency response, distributing Oral Rehydration Salts, chlorinated water, and hygiene kits to nearly 30,000 people in Tawila.
The crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of deepening catastrophe, with millions displaced, food systems dismantled, and famine declared in at least 10 locations. UNICEF urgently requires $30.6 million to fund its emergency cholera response, citing bureaucratic delays, looted aid convoys, and active fighting as major obstacles to delivering vital supplies.
Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165562