South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The cholera outbreak in the Abyei Special Administrative Area risks spiralling further out of control unless urgent measures are taken to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned this week.
Health officials in Abyei declared a cholera outbreak on June 11, 2025, following a steady increase in suspected cases. The region, located in northwestern South Sudan, is the latest to be affected in a countrywide outbreak that has plagued South Sudan since September 2024, impacting states such as Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria—including the capital, Juba.
“The situation in Amiet is critical,” said Stéphanie Dongmo, MSF Project Coordinator in Abyei. “The patients admitted with cholera to Ameth Bek Hospital in Abyei Town confirm an active outbreak. The risk of spread to Abyei Town is high, especially with the return of the rains, extremely poor hygiene conditions, and the continued increase in the number of people arriving from Sudan into an already overcrowded space.”
Amiet market, a major informal settlement near Abyei Town, now hosts over 50,000 people who have fled ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan. Living conditions are dire—many residents lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, with open defecation common due to a shortage of latrines. These factors significantly increase the risk of cholera transmission, particularly during the rainy season.
MSF has been operating a 20-bed cholera treatment unit (CTU) at Ameth Bek Hospital since April 11, 2025. Between June 2 and June 28 alone, 333 suspected cholera cases were treated at the facility, including a sharp rise in recent weeks: 80 cases were reported from June 9 to 15, 77 from June 16 to 22, and 94 between June 23 and 28.
“The surge in cases over the past three weeks is alarming,” Dongmo said. “While we’re providing life-saving treatment, this outbreak cannot be contained by medical care alone. We need urgent improvements in water supply, sanitation, and hygiene to stop the disease from spreading.”
The onset of the rainy season has compounded the crisis, with flooding likely to block roads and hinder the delivery of aid. The stagnant water also increases the risk of transmission of waterborne diseases like cholera.
MSF is calling for the rapid deployment of oral cholera vaccines in the affected areas, along with immediate upgrades to basic services.
“We need all relevant actors to act fast,” Dongmo urged. “Deploy water trucks, distribute soap, build more latrines, and improve drainage. These steps are critical to save lives and prevent the situation from deteriorating further.”
According to the World Health Organisation, South Sudan has recorded more than 75,000 cholera cases and over 1,300 deaths nationwide since the outbreak began in September 2024.
On Tuesday, the incident manager for the national cholera emergency confirmed that the country recorded 77,000 positive cases with nearly 1,400 deaths.
