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Researching Human Migration across Africa

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23 Sep

Cholera Outbreak in Sudan and Chad: Escalating Public Health and Humanitarian Crisis

A cholera outbreak in eastern Chad’s refugee settlements, particularly Dougui and Treguine, has intensified the humanitarian challenges facing Sudanese arrivals displaced by conflict in Darfur. As of August 2025, Dougui has recorded 264 cases and 12 deaths, with suspected cases also reported in other high-risk border areas such as Adre. Across the border in Darfur, health authorities and humanitarian agencies report more than 4,300 cases and 113 deaths amid continuing violence and mass displacement. Transmission is being accelerated by overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and limited access to clean water, while seasonal rains and insecurity continue to impede aid delivery (UNHCR, 2025).

 

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has suspended refugee relocations to help contain the outbreak and is implementing emergency health and hygiene measures. However, the agency faces significant funding constraints, appealing for $130 million to support an estimated 800,000 people across Darfur and Chad. The funds are intended to facilitate refugee relocation, reinforce essential services, and prevent further spread. Current estimates indicate that one in three people in eastern Chad is now a refugee, underscoring the scale of displacement pressures (UNHCR, 2025).

Sudan is simultaneously experiencing one of its most severe cholera epidemics in recent decades. Since January 2025, more than 32,000 suspected cases and over 700 deaths have been recorded across 17 of the country’s 18 states. Children under five remain at heightened risk, with 3.2 million classified as malnourished and therefore more vulnerable to waterborne diseases. The rainy season is accelerating transmission within overcrowded camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, where thousands have already been infected (Weramondi, 2025). World Vision Sudan has initiated emergency water, sanitation, and health (WASH) interventions, reaching tens of thousands, though the organization has reported a $5 million funding gap that constrains the expansion of life-saving services (Harris, 2025).

The humanitarian situation in eastern Chad reflects a convergence of conflict, displacement, and disease. Since April 2023, the country has received more than 870,000 Sudanese refugees and 300,000 Chadian returnees, with the siege of El Fasher in Darfur alone triggering the arrival of 80,000 new refugees (UNHCR, 2025). The total refugee and returnee population in Chad now exceeds one million, primarily composed of women and children. Infrastructure has been overwhelmed, and funding cuts have forced humanitarian organizations to scale back or cease operations. This has left survivors of sexual violence and displaced families with reduced access to essential services. Seasonal rains have further obstructed humanitarian logistics, with road closures and reduced flights hampering deliveries. Outbreaks in camps such as Dougui have already resulted in at least 25 deaths, while only 17% of Chad’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded (Care, 2025).

 

By August 2025, Sudan had reported nearly 100,000 suspected cases and over 2,470 deaths nationwide. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treated more than 2,300 patients in Tawila in a single week, straining facilities built for far fewer. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergency threshold of 15 liters of water per person per day is not being met; in Tawila, the average is just three liters. Heavy rainfall is exacerbating the situation, contaminating water supplies and damaging infrastructure, while the epidemic expands to Central and South Darfur. Treatment centers in Golo and Nyala are currently overburdened, with MSF and Sudan’s Ministry of Health expanding cholera treatment and oral rehydration points to cope with demand (Doctors without Borders, 2025).

The wider context is one of systemic fragility. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced millions, fractured state capacity, and weakened public health infrastructure. By mid-2025, 25 million people in Sudan were classified as acutely food insecure, while nearly 100,000 cholera cases had been confirmed since July 2024. WHO estimates that 770,000 children under five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2025. Cross-border impacts are already evident, with outbreaks emerging in refugee-hosting areas of Chad, leading UNHCR to suspend border relocations. Aid agencies have stressed the need for urgent international support to restore access to clean water, expand vaccination, and scale up health interventions (Reuters, 2025).

 

The cholera outbreaks in Sudan and eastern Chad highlight the intersection of conflict, displacement, and disease within fragile humanitarian settings. Data from multiple agencies show that overcrowded living conditions, insufficient water and sanitation infrastructure, and widespread malnutrition are driving mortality and transmission. Seasonal rains and insecurity continue to obstruct humanitarian access, while severe funding gaps hinder the scale-up of interventions. Evidence suggests that without immediate and sustained international support, the outbreaks risk further escalation across borders, compounding regional instability and public health risks.

 

Image Source: freepik

 

References

Care. (2025, August 13). Crisis in eastern Chad: funding cuts, cholera outbreak undermine refugee response. Retrieved from Care: https://www.care.org/media-and-press/crisis-in-eastern-chad-funding-cuts-cholera-outbreak-undermine-refugee-response/

Doctors without Borders. (2025, August 14). Sudan war is fueling its worst cholera outbreak in years. Retrieved from Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudan-war-fueling-its-worst-cholera-outbreak-years

GAACOWD. (2025, Aug 25 ). Cholera crisis in Darfur. Retrieved from Global alliance against cholera and other waterborne diseases: https://www.choleraalliance.org/en/news/cholera-crisis-darfur

Harris, N. (2025, July 22). Children in Sudan face growing danger as cholera spreads amid funding cuts, World Vision warns. Retrieved from World Vision: https://www.worldvision.org/about-us/media-center/children-in-sudan-face-growing-danger-as-cholera-spreads-amid-funding-cuts-world-vision-warns

Reuters. ( 2025, August 8). Hunger and disease are spreading in war-torn Sudan, WHO says. Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hunger-disease-spreading-war-torn-sudan-who-says-2025-08-08/

UNHCR. (2025, August 8 ). Cholera outbreak among refugees from Sudan’s Darfur, urgent funding needed. Retrieved from UNHCR: Cholera outbreak among refugees from Sudan’s Darfur, urgent funding needed

UNHCR. (2025, June 3). UNHCR warns crisis reaching breaking point as Sudanese refugee numbers triple in Chad. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-warns-crisis-reaching-breaking-point-sudanese-refugee-numbers-triple-chad

UNICEF. (2025, August 03 ). Over 640,000 children under five at risk as cholera spreads in Sudan’s North Darfur State. Retrieved from UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/over-640000-children-under-five-risk-cholera-spreads-sudans-north-darfur-state

Weramondi, B. (2025, July 15 ). Children in Sudan face growing danger as cholera spreads amid funding cuts, World Vision warns. Retrieved from World Vision: https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/sudan/children-sudan-face-growing-danger-cholera-spreads-amid-funding-cuts-world-vision

 

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