Sudan cholera cases surge to 124

Sudan said on Thursday that the number of cases of cholera reported in the country have surged to 124, most of them in the war-torn state of Blue Nile.

The health ministry said the disease had been reported in the states of Blue Nile and Sinnar.

Of a total of 124 cases reported so far, 101 were in Blue Nile and the remaining in Sinnar, the ministry said in a statement.

Experts from the World Health Organization have been sent to the two regions, the ministry said.

Last week, the ministry reported four cases of cholera in Blue Nile.

It also said that three deaths from acute diarrhoea had also been reported in Blue Nile.

WHO at the time said it was working closely with health authorities in Blue Nile to tackle cholera cases there.

A WHO official in Sudan warned cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases could spread if no action was taken, due to "suboptimal health conditions" as well as poor water and sewage infrastructure, exacerbated by floods.

Dozens of people died from acute diarrhoea in Sudan in 2016 after thousands of cases were reported nationwide.

Blue Nile state, which has a large ethnic minority population, has been the focus of a rebellion by the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North since 2011.

The army declared a ceasefire after the overthrow of veteran president Omar al-Bashir earlier this year.

© 2019 AFP