The MSF-supported CTU has so far received and treated 45 cholera cases, including two deaths. Most of the patients are people arriving from the war in Sudan, where a cholera outbreak was declared in August 2024. However, MSF teams have also received patients from the local population of Renk. Contaminated water sources, open defecation, and overcrowded living conditions due to new arrivals from Sudan pose a significant threat to both refugees and the local community.
“Given the inadequate, overcrowded living conditions and continued influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan into [the cities of] Renk and Malakal, there is an imminent urgent need for a response to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene situation to prevent further spread of the disease,” said Emanuele Montobbio, MSF’s coordinator for the Renk emergency program. “In the past weeks, up to 800 people are entering Renk daily from Sudan, fleeing from the war in the country.”
Cholera response in Malakal
In Malakal, less than 185 miles from Renk, MSF teams have observed a sharp rise in cholera cases. This is an onward travel destination for many returnees and refugees coming from Renk after fleeing Sudan, whether they stay in Malakal or proceed with further travel to other parts of the country.
The observed rise in cholera cases in Malakal prompted the establishment of a cholera treatment unit at MSF’s Malakal Town Hospital. As of November 12, less than a week after opening, 65 patients have been admitted to the facility. MSF is also conducting health education initiatives to help curb the further spread of the disease.
