Cholera outbreak kills 60 in South Sudan: Minister

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - A cholera outbreak in South Sudan has claimed nearly 60 lives since it began on Oct. 28, a government minister announced Friday.

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, South Sudan’s Minister of Information and Communication, Michael Makuei Lueth, said over 6,000 cholera cases have been recorded nationwide.

Two days ago, government and UN agencies reported they began vaccinations in response to a cholera outbreak in South Sudan after it recorded a total of 2,184 cases and 31 deaths were reported.

"Cholera is available nowadays in South Sudan. It has started again, but it is now spreading all over, and up to now, we have lost about 60 people and recorded about 6,000 cases of cholera," said Lueth.

He noted that the outbreak is concentrated in internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the capital Juba, Rubkona County in Unity State, Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and refugee camps in the northern part of the country, particularly in Renk.

Lueth stressed that cholera is especially rampant among refugees who fled Sudan, with ongoing efforts to contain the situation.

He said that the Ministry of Health has asked for more vaccines because the quantity received so far is very small, and they have sent it to Renk, so that the people who are there are treated.

"Efforts are underway to get more vaccines for the other areas, However, the message of the Minister of Health is, keep your house clean and don't drink, or eat cold food, you must eat warm food. This is the best protection against cholera," said the minister.

According to a joint statement issued early this week by South Sudan Ministry of Health and UN agencies, the outbreak is impacting refugees, returnees, and residents alike.

Children under five and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. The high concentration of people in transit centers and camps, coupled with limited access to clean water, poor sanitation, open defecation, and inadequate hygiene practices, has exacerbated the crisis.

The initial cholera cases were traced to neighboring Sudan, where an outbreak has affected over 40,000 people. Since April 2023, more than 880,000 people have fled Sudan, with many crossing into South Sudan via Renk County. The UN is supporting transit centers to provide rest and essential services for those arriving.