Kassala, May 21(Darfur 24)
The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday the registration of 2,323 new cholera cases, including 51 deaths, over the past three weeks.
The ministry said in a statement following a meeting of the Federal Emergency Operations Center that 90% of the cases and deaths were recorded in Khartoum State, particularly in Karari and Jebel Awliya localities.
The meeting called for urgent interventions to combat epidemics in Khartoum State, particularly cholera and dengue fever, in addition to the hepatitis epidemic in Kassala.
Al-Salha area, south of Omdurman, is suffering from a cholera outbreak due to the lack of clean drinking water following a power outage that lasted for about a month, according to residents who previously told Darfur 24.
The statement indicated that current health threats include dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis, measles, and diphtheria, with varying rates of morbidity and mortality among the affected states.
The statement confirmed that more than 50% of medicines and supplies for epidemics are available in the National Supply Fund’s warehouses, with varying levels of availability. It also confirmed that supplies from several organizations are available to some states.
The ministry also announced that 12,590 people arrived in the country through various entry points during the past week, while 10,409 people left the country, and 901 people visited emergency clinics.
A doctor in the Al-Salha area, south of Omdurman, confirmed to Darfur 24 that cholera cases and deaths have increased, particularly in the eastern Al-Salha neighborhoods. This is due to residents’ reliance on unsafe drinking water, which has been cut off for more than a month due to power outages. She noted that health centers and private clinics in the Hegelija and Al-Salha Al-Qia areas—which number more than seven—suffer from a shortage of medical staff and a severe shortage of medicines, intravenous solutions, surgical supplies, and sterilization equipment.