Cholera, malaria and dengue spread in East Jabal Marra, Tawila and Khartoum
DARFUR– The Dirah (Dayra) area in East Jabal Marra, South Darfur State, which is under the control of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army led by Abdulwahid Nour, is grappling with a terrifying cholera outbreak.
A medical source told Atar that cases continue to climb in the town of Dirbat. From August 3 through September 17 authorities recorded 134 infections, including 15 deaths. In Suni the tally reached 125 cases with 17 fatalities. At the Dirah health centre there were 37 infections and 13 deaths, and at Java health centre, there were 47 infections and eight deaths.
In Tawila, North Darfur, another medical source told Atar the Médecins Sans Frontières cholera isolation centre, with a capacity of 200 beds, was receiving between 300 and 400 patients daily.
Thanks to efforts by multiple organisations, the number of cholera cases fell to 21 on September 16. Since the outbreak began in July, total reported infections reached 5,457 with 80 deaths. Malaria infections are also rising markedly.
The Federal Emergency Operations Centre at the Federal Ministry of Health reported 1,367 cholera cases from September 6–12, including 52 deaths recorded across five states: North Darfur, Central Darfur, East Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.
Authorities also logged 1,523 dengue fever cases, including three deaths, mainly in Khartoum, which reported the highest rates, as well as in Kassala, White Nile and Blue Nile states. Twelve measles cases were confirmed, all in North Darfur, with no deaths. 63 cases of viral hepatitis were recorded, all in Al-Jazirah state, with no fatalities reported.
The South Darfur health ministry, part of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) civilian authority, reported 372 new cholera cases this week, including 14 deaths, bringing South Darfur’s cumulative total to 5,110 cases and 256 deaths since the first case in May.
Read a detailed report in this issue on the spread of fevers across the states. The investigation details regional responses, gaps in aid and urgent recommendations for health authorities.
School closures in Al-Jazirah State amid disease outbreaks
AL-JAZIRAH– The Al-Jazirah State Ministry of Education announced a 15-day suspension of secondary school classes, effective Sunday, September 21 through Saturday, October 4. In a letter addressed to school administrations, seen by Atar, the ministry cited outbreaks of dengue fever and malaria as the reason.
Al-Jazirah is witnessing a broad outbreak of dengue, malaria and hepatitis C. 63 residents contracted hepatitis C in the past week. The state launched an aerial spraying campaign on Sunday, September 14, accompanied by ground operations to control and eliminate disease vectors.
RED SEA– Sudan’s peanut exports have plunged to just $1.6 million, down from roughly $295 million in the first half of 2022 and $165 million in the first half of 2024. The decline follows the difficulty of transporting peanuts from Al-Nahud to Al-Obeid after Rapid Support Forces seized control of the town. Peanuts had been one of Sudan’s highest-value agricultural exports alongside cotton and sesame. Imports of key agricultural inputs such as gasoline, fertilizer and pesticides have fallen.
According to the Central Bank of Sudan’s midyear external trade summary (January to June 2025), Sudan’s imports of trucks and lorries in the first half of this year doubled compared with prewar levels, rising to about $100.1 million from $35.2 million in 2024 and $55.3 million in 2022. Imports of saloon cars also rose, from $13.4 million in the first half of 2024 to roughly $38.4 million in 2025, or about 70 per cent of prewar levels in 2022.
The United Arab Emirates remains Sudan’s largest export destination, receiving goods worth $791.5 million, including $750.8 million in gold.
Read an in-depth presentation of the report in this issue.
New report on detainee conditions in Al-Jazirah State
AL-JAZIRAH– A recent report by the Al-Jazirah Observatory for Human Rights documents the dire conditions faced by detainees in security cell detention centers across the state, which is controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Detention sites are located in Al-Managil, Wad Madani, Hasahisa, and East Al-Jazirah. Detainees face a range of abuses, including detention without charge, beatings, sleep deprivation, and denial of medical care. These violations are carried out by multiple security and military bodies affiliated with the Port Sudan government, including the security cell, military intelligence, joint forces, Sudan Shield, and Bara Ibn Malik forces.
The Sūr textile factory in Hasahisa was used as a prison by the Rapid Support Forces during its control of much of Al-Jazirah. The report says more than 230 people, including women and children, were held there.
In Rufaa, more than 70 were detained; Wad Madani holds about 3,000 detainees, roughly 950 of whom were tried and sentenced to terms from five years to life. It documents the arrest of writer-historian and broadcaster Khalid Bahiri, 70, as part of a campaign against civil and independent activists.
3,639 families affected in Al-Jazirah and Al-Qadarif by rain and floods
Al-QADARIF- After its seventh meeting, the Fall 2025 Emergency Technical Committee said that Al-Jazirah and Al-Qadarif were hit by floods from September 11–16. It said 3,639 households- 18,195 people — were affected, bringing totals from between June 30 and September 16 to 21,811 households and 113,723 people across 49 localities in 11 states.
Humanitarian groups warned of urgent needs and appealed for rapid, unimpeded access for aid.
50 Sudanese refugees die in Libya after boat fire
LIBYA– The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said at least 50 Sudanese refugees died when a vessel carrying 75 of them caught fire off Libya’s coast on Sunday, September 14. The agency provided medical care to 24 survivors.
IOM says 456 people have died off Libya’s coast so far this year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, which remains the world’s most dangerous migration route, due to increasingly hazardous trafficking practices, limited rescue capacity and growing restrictions on humanitarian operations.
Sudanese fleeing via Libya to the Mediterranean suffer numerous abuses after being abducted or detained by militias there and often must pay large ransoms to secure release from prisons.
