South Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls for urgent scale up in water and sanitation programs amidst rising cholera cases in Abyei

A cholera outbreak in Abyei Special Administrative Area risks spreading further if water and sanitation (WASH) conditions are not urgently improved, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Health authorities in Abyei officially declared a cholera outbreak on 11 June 2025, following a continued rise in reported cases.

South Sudan has been grappling with a widespread cholera outbreak since September 2024, with cases reported across multiple states, including Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria, which hosts the capital, Juba. Abyei Special Administrative Area in the north western part of South Sudan is one of the latest areas to be affected. People in Abyei, whether displaced people, or host communities, are living in overcrowded areas with limited access to basic services. The situation is particularly concerning in informal settlements like Amiet market, where over 50,000 people who fled the war in Sudan live with limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation infrastructure such as latrines. Many are forced to defecate in the open due to a lack of latrines, posing further risks of the spread of diseases.

“The situation in Amiet is critical. 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 coming into an already overcrowded space,” says Stéphanie Dongmo, MSF Project Coordinator in Abyei.

MSF has been responding to the crisis, treating patients with symptoms consistent with cholera such as acute watery diarrhoea at its 20-bed cholera treatment unit (CTU) set up at Ameth Bek Hospital since 11 April. Between 2 and 28 June, a total of 333 suspected cholera cases were treated at the MSF CTU. The last three weeks have seen a significant surge, with 80 patients received between 9 and 15 June; 77 between 16 and 22 June; and 94 between 23 and 28 June being treated at the MSF CTU in Abyei.

While there are ongoing medical response efforts, the onset of the rainy season poses an immediate and severe threat. Ensuing floods are likely to cut off access, complicate logistical movements for aid, and accelerate the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera.

“MSF calls for the urgent rollout of cholera vaccines and vastly improved water, sanitation, and hygiene programs by all relevant actors in affected areas. Immediate and comprehensive actions, including deploying water trucks to provide clean water, soap, constructing more latrines, and improving the drainage systems are critical to mitigate the crisis. These immediate actions are crucial to save lives and prevent further escalation of this critical public health emergency in Abyei,” Stephanie adds.

Since the start of the outbreak in September 2024, more than 75,000 cases and over 1,300 deaths from cholera had been reported nationwide according to the World Health Organisation by 27 June 2025.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).