Sudan’s North Darfur region is facing a deadly crisis with a cholera outbreak adding to the misery in a region ravaged by fighting between the army and rebels. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to lay siege to el-Fasher, the last urban centre in the region under army control, forcing residents to eat animal fodder to survive.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned about starvation in the el-Fasher region, with the situation reaching the most severe level on the UN-backed food security scale – ‘IPC Phase 5’, indicating full-blown famine. The two-month siege has complicated aid efforts, blocking food supplies and attacking aid convoys.
A cholera outbreak in the North Darfur state has further worsened the situation, with deaths rising to 191 in the region. Nearly 4,000 cases of cholera have been reported, with over 100 people dying in displacement camps. The rainy season is exacerbating the crisis, with aid groups warning that the lack of access to water, hygiene, and medical care is curbing efforts to curb the spread of the outbreak.
Residents are struggling to survive, with some relying on charity kitchens for a single meal per day. A veterinarian described her family’s reliance on livestock fodder as “nearly depleted.” The situation is described by one resident as “catastrophic,” with people dying due to malnutrition and starvation.
Fighting continues, with the RSF blocking aid supplies and attacking aid convoys. The UN has called for a humanitarian pause in fighting, but the RSF has rejected the call. The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 13 million people, resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/4/cholera-deaths-rise-to-191-in-sudans-darfur-area-amid-famine-ongoing-war