Khartoum, May 31 (IANS) The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced that it has received over 2.9 million doses of the cholera vaccine amid a surge in cases, especially in the capital Khartoum.

“A total of 2,905,400 cholera vaccine doses have been received as part of efforts to combat the cholera outbreak currently affecting Sudan, particularly in Khartoum State,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

It noted that the vaccines were donated by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The vaccines, received in the eastern city of Port Sudan, will be transported to Khartoum State, where a large-scale vaccination campaign is set to begin in the coming days, targeting all residents aged one and above, the statement said.

Since October 2023, Sudan has received more than 16.9 million doses of the cholera vaccine through a partnership between the Sudanese health authorities and the ICG, according to the ministry.

Earlier this week, Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim reported a surge in cholera cases in Khartoum, with at least 2,500 cases recorded in May alone.

On Tuesday, the ministry reported 2,729 new infections and 172 deaths within a single week, with 90 per cent of new cases concentrated in Khartoum State.

According to the non-governmental medical aid group Doctors Without Borders, the interruption of electricity and water services across much of Khartoum State has fuelled the spread of epidemic diseases, including cholera, as residents have been forced to rely on unsafe water sources.

Khartoum State, particularly Omdurman city, has seen a rise in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the latest being a drone strike on three power stations on May 15, which caused a citywide power outage lasting around 10 days.

United Nations organisations have previously warned that escalating attacks on civilian infrastructure, including power stations, are obstructing access to electricity and clean water for millions of people across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes, both within Sudan and across its borders.

–IANS

int/jk/rad