Among the major news stories in Sudan now are the widespread number cases of persons suffering watery diarrhea (1). The government denies cholera is to blame for them, but some, if not all, doctors operating outside the governent disagree (1, 2). Blue Nile and Sennar States are among the worst hit (they also saw some of the worst flooding this summer…the Blue Nile river runs through both areas). The government has reported 57 fatalities and 3,084 cases in the eastern Sudan area alone, while Radio Dabanga reports that medics from a “civil initiative to combat the epidemic” reported 475 fatalities and 10,215 cases happening between mid- August to Sept. 22 (1). Darfur has also reported cases with this symptom lately.
Various sources in Central Darfur State have told Radio Dabanga about a very high number of malaria cases there (5). This state has also seen 5,500 to 12,500 civilians displaced by continued government-rebel fighting in the Jebel Marra region arrive in Nertiti North internally displaced persons camp in recent weeks (6).
Despite these problems, and the fact that violence continues to keep 3,200,000 Sudanese from their homes (2,600,000 people in the five Darfur States alone), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ budget for calendar year 2016 is only 41% funded as of mid-September (6).
- Radio Dabanga, “‘Watery diarrhea’ outbreak leaves 57 dead: Sudanese Health Ministry,” Sept. 26, 2016, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/watery-diarrhoea-outbreak-leaves-57-dead-sudan-health-ministry
2. Radio Dabanga, “Number of diarrhoeal disease cases growing in Sudan,” Sept. 19, 2016, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/number-of-diarrhoeal-disease-cases-growing-in-sudan
3. Radio Dabanga, “Disease rife in North Darfur camps,” Sept. 2, 2016, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/disease-rife-in-north-darfur-camps
4. Radio Dabanga, “South Darfur children dying of fever, diarrhea,” Sept. 7, 2016, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/south-darfur-children-dying-of-fever-diarrhoea
5. Radio Dabanga, “Malaria spreading, health care deteriorating in Darfur,” Sept. 25, 2016, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/malaria-spreading-health-care-deteriorating-in-darfur
6. UN OCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin Sudan, Issue 38, 12 – 18 September, 2016, http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_38_%2812_-_18_September_2016%29.pdf
