Sudan’s capital Khartoum is grappling with a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak, with more than 2,300 confirmed cases in the past three weeks, according to health authorities. The majority of infections—around 90%—are concentrated in and around Khartoum, particularly in the areas of Karari and Jabal Awlia. This surge in cases has been linked to widespread disruptions to electricity and water supplies caused by escalating drone attacks in the ongoing civil conflict.

At least 51 people have died as the waterborne disease spreads through vulnerable communities already suffering from the consequences of war. The Sudanese Health Ministry’s emergency operations centre has reported that the lack of clean water and functioning sanitation systems is accelerating the spread of not only cholera but also other infectious diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and typhoid. Most hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or left inoperative, leaving civilians without access to medical treatment during this health crisis.

The devastating impact of drone strikes has further crippled Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure. Targeted attacks on power plants, fuel storage facilities, and dams have left large swathes of the capital without electricity or running water. Without the ability to pump and purify water, entire neighborhoods are now relying on contaminated sources, making them highly susceptible to cholera outbreaks. The United Nations stated in a recent report that public services, which were already overstretched due to conflict, are now collapsing under the added pressure of prolonged power outages.

The Sudanese army, which this week claimed full control of Khartoum state, has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of orchestrating the majority of these drone attacks. However, the RSF has not issued any formal response to the accusations. These strikes have not only targeted military installations but also key civilian infrastructure, worsening the humanitarian situation in the capital. While the army attempts to stabilize the region, civilians are left facing an increasingly desperate reality.

While current combat is mainly concentrated in the western regions of Darfur and Kordofan, the fallout from earlier offensives in Khartoum continues to paralyze essential services. The army is intensifying its campaign to drive the RSF further west, but the effects of earlier clashes in the capital are still unfolding. The lack of safe access for humanitarian aid and healthcare has left communities in greater Khartoum especially exposed to disease and starvation.

The ongoing war, now more than two years old, erupted after a failed attempt to unify the national army and the RSF during Sudan’s transition to civilian governance. Since April 2023, the country has spiraled into deeper instability, with both hunger and disease spreading rapidly. As the political and military conflict rages on, the rising cholera toll reflects the secondary, but equally deadly, impact of infrastructure collapse and weakened governance on the lives of ordinary Sudanese citizens.