…Overcrowding, open defecation, and lack of clean water in South Sudan’s Abyei region risk triggering a wider health crisis as rains set in
By Bunmi Yekini
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised alarm over the growing cholera outbreak in the Abyei Special Administrative Area of South Sudan, warning that poor water and sanitation conditions could accelerate the spread of the deadly disease across the region.
The health authorities in Abyei declared a cholera outbreak on June 11, 2025, following a continued surge in suspected cases. The warning comes as South Sudan grapples with a nationwide cholera crisis that began in September 2024, with over 75,000 cases and more than 1,300 deaths reported across Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria States, according to the World Health Organization.
Abyei, one of the newest hotspots, is home to tens of thousands of people fleeing the war in Sudan. Many live in informal settlements such as Amiet market under dire conditions, without clean water, toilets, or proper waste management. The area now faces an increased risk of outbreak, especially as the rainy season worsens hygiene conditions.
“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.”
MSF has been on the frontlines of the crisis since April 11, setting up a 20-bed cholera treatment unit (CTU) at Ameth Bek Hospital. Between June 2 and 28, MSF treated 333 suspected cholera cases, with weekly patient admissions rising steeply:
80 cases (June 9–15)
77 cases (June 16–22)
94 cases (June 23–28)
As rains begin to flood the region, health responders fear limited access and logistical hurdles will further compound the crisis.
“MSF calls for the urgent rollout of cholera vaccines and vastly improved water, sanitation, and hygiene programs by all relevant actors in affected areas,” Dongmo urged. “Deploying water trucks to provide clean water, soap, constructing more latrines, and improving 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.”
The organization emphasized that medical response alone is not enough without a robust WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) intervention to curb the cycle of transmission and save lives.