Khartoum: A fast-spreading cholera outbreak is worsening in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, where the collapse of the health sector and deteriorating humanitarian conditions are leaving civilians without treatment or prevention, local monitors and aid groups warned Friday. At least 8,569 infections and 361 deaths have been recorded in Darfur as of Wednesday, according to the General Coordination of Refugees and Displaced People. Most of the victims are women and children.

According to Anadolu Agency, the outbreak has hit hardest in overcrowded displacement camps and besieged towns. Tawila in North Darfur reported the highest caseload, with 4,850 cases, while Jebel Marra's Golo area recorded 1,290 infections. In Kalma camp, 435 cases and 64 deaths were confirmed, alongside dozens more in Otash and other camps.

Adam Rajal, a spokesman for the coordination body, described the crisis in Darfur as severe, noting that life has become increasingly difficult due to epidemics, hunger, and the ongoing war. He highlighted a significant shortage of medicines and the long distances patients must travel to reach the few remaining functional isolation centers.

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has severely impacted Darfur's health services. Hospitals lack essential medical supplies, including oral and intravenous rehydration solutions, crucial for treating cholera, despite international efforts to provide aid.

Nationally, the Health Ministry has reported 102,831 cholera infections and 2,561 deaths since the epidemic began in August 2024. The medical charity group Doctors Without Borders reported that cholera claimed 40 lives in Darfur in just one week earlier this month, emphasizing the urgent need for an international response to provide clean water, sanitation, and vaccinations.

The World Health Organization confirmed cholera cases in all 18 Sudanese states, while the UN has cautioned about simultaneous outbreaks of measles and malaria, particularly in North Darfur's Tawila and the besieged city of El-Fasher.

Local journalist Nemat al-Haj described El-Fasher as heavily impacted, with only one hospital operating at minimal capacity and a shortage of medicine for chronic illnesses. The cholera crisis is unfolding amid a war that has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million people, with some research suggesting a much higher death toll.