MSF Urges Urgent Response to Cholera Outbreak in South Sudan Amid Growing Health Crisis

The situation is exacerbated by the daily arrival of up to 800 people from Sudan, escaping violence but increasing pressure on limited resources in Renk and Malakal.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has swiftly mobilized in response to a cholera outbreak in South Sudan's Upper Nile state, setting up a 20-bed cholera treatment unit (CTU) at Renk Civil Hospital following the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) outbreak declaration on October 28. The MSF-supported unit has treated 45 patients thus far, with two fatalities reported. Most cases are refugees and returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan, where cholera has also spread rapidly since August 2024, while some cases are from Renk’s local population. Contaminated water sources, limited sanitation, and overcrowded living conditions are intensifying the threat to public health.

The situation is exacerbated by the daily arrival of up to 800 people from Sudan, escaping violence but increasing pressure on limited resources in Renk and Malakal. “With insufficient shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene support, the incoming refugees are at critical risk. We need a rapid and collaborative response to address these conditions and prevent a wider health crisis,” said Emanuele Montobbio, MSF's field coordinator for the Renk emergency program.

To contain the outbreak, MSF has expanded its operations to Malakal, where cholera cases are rising sharply, with 65 patients admitted within a week to MSF’s treatment unit at Malakal Town Hospital. Additionally, MSF has established a 100-bed Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) in Assosa, just outside Malakal, to accommodate the increasing number of patients, especially those from the overcrowded Malakal Protection of Civilians (PoC) site. The high-density conditions in the PoC, hosting thousands of people, present a grave risk for rapid cholera transmission. MSF is actively providing health education initiatives across the region to help communities understand and implement preventive practices.

However, with cases increasing and resources stretched, MSF is calling on other organizations to step up their involvement. “The current response does not match the urgency of the situation. Immediate actions are needed from humanitarian groups in Renk and Malakal, and throughout Upper Nile, to manage the outbreak’s spread,” Montobbio stressed. He further emphasized the need for a reactive vaccination campaign targeting both Renk and Malakal’s vulnerable populations to curb further transmission.

MSF’s plea highlights the potential for the outbreak to escalate beyond Upper Nile as people travel throughout South Sudan, underscoring the urgent need for cross-organizational collaboration, increased water and sanitation facilities, and vaccination efforts to avert a wider public health crisis.