While water and electricity are not a given in Sudan due to drone attacks, the African country is also struggling with a deadly cholera outbreak. In one week, the disease claimed at least 172 lives.
“The biggest humanitarian crisis prevails in Sudan,” aid organizations say about the war. An estimated tens of thousands of people have died. Now, a cholera outbreak is adding to the suffering, claiming many lives.
In one week, at least 172 people died from the infectious disease, Al Arabiya reported on Tuesday, citing the Sudanese Ministry of Health. That number is likely to rise, as 2,700 infections have now been confirmed.
90 percent of those cases have been found in Khartoum. In that state, the water and electricity supply has been severely disrupted by drone attacks. The lack of prospects for the Sudanese is a grim reality. Meanwhile, about 14 million people have been displaced, writes news agency AP.
What is going on in Sudan?
The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are fighting for power in the country. This is accompanied by fighting, drone attacks, and sexual violence against civilians.
According to the United Nations, the number of victims of rape and sexual violence has increased by 288 percent.
Healthcare at ‘breaking point’
Cholera is common in Sudan, but since the war, outbreaks have been much worse and more frequent. The disease has already claimed many hundreds of lives.
Cholera can be contracted through contaminated water or food and can cause severe diarrhea. The disease is fatal if intervention is not swift. And that is precisely a problem. There is no clean drinking water, sanitation, or medical care. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthcare in the African country has reached a “breaking point.”