WHO warns cholera outbreak in Sudan could worsen amid war and rainy season

The World Health Organization has warned that Sudan's cholera outbreak could deepen as the war continues, displacement rises and the rainy season sets in. In a statement, the agency said at least 114 people have died and more than 1,300 have fallen ill since the outbreak was officially declared on June 27. Cases have been reported across several states, primarily in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, where access for humanitarian and health workers is severely restricted, according to the WHO. Speaking via video link from Libya, WHO representative in Sudan Shible Sahbani said the current fatality rate of 13.7% is very high and that the rainy season would worsen conditions. He stressed that Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of assistance and 21 million requiring health services. Sahbani also pointed to pressure on health facilities in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, where conflict has made delivering humanitarian aid increasingly difficult. The United Nations has separately announced that only about 12% of the $2.7 billion needed to assist roughly 15 million people has so far been secured.