(Abyei) – A cholera outbreak in the Abyei Administrative Area is threatening to spread further unless urgent steps are taken to improve water and sanitation, according to the medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Local health authorities officially declared an outbreak on 11 June 2025 after a steady rise in cases. South Sudan has been dealing with widespread cholera since September 2024, with infections recorded in several states, including Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria, which includes the capital, Juba.
Abyei, located on the border with Sudan and administered as a special region, is the latest area to be affected. Both displaced people and host communities are facing overcrowded conditions and a severe lack of access to basic services, MSF said.
The situation is especially worrying in informal settlements such as Amiet market, where more than 50,000 people have taken shelter after fleeing conflict in Sudan. These residents have limited access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation, heightening the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
“The situation in Amiet is critical,” said Stéphanie Dongmo, MSF’s project coordinator in Abyei. “Patients admitted with cholera symptoms to Ameth Bek Hospital in Abyei town confirm the outbreak is active. The risk of the disease spreading to the town is high, especially now that the rains have begun, hygiene conditions are poor, and more people continue to arrive from Sudan into an already overcrowded area.”
MSF has been responding to the outbreak since April. At its 20-bed cholera treatment unit in Ameth Bek Hospital, the organisation has treated people suffering from symptoms like acute watery diarrhoea, a key sign of cholera.
Between 2 and 28 June, MSF treated 333 suspected cases. The number of patients has surged in recent weeks, with 80 people treated between 9 and 15 June, 77 between 16 and 22 June, and 94 between 23 and 28 June.
The organisation warned that the coming floods are likely to block roads and further complicate the delivery of aid, while also increasing the spread of cholera and similar diseases through contaminated water sources.
MSF has called for an urgent cholera vaccination campaign and for all aid groups to scale up water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes in affected areas. The group said immediate action is essential to save lives and prevent a wider health crisis.
