Children in Sudan face growing danger as cholera spreads amid funding cuts, World Vision warns

PORT SUDAN (July 22, 2025) — Millions of Sudanese children are at grave risk due to a deadly and rapidly spreading cholera outbreak. More than 700 people have died, including children, and 32,000 suspected cases have been recorded since January 2025. The outbreak now affects 17 of the country’s 18 states, compounding the suffering of families already devastated by conflict, forced displacements, and a collapsing health system.

Among the most vulnerable are the 3.2 million malnourished children under the age of five whose weakened immune systems leave them susceptible to cholera and other waterborne diseases. The rainy season is worsening the situation, accelerating the spread of cholera in overcrowded sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugee camps. So far, 165 deaths and over 11,500 cases of infected people have been reported in internal displacement sites, while refugee settlements have reported 15 deaths and 278 cases.

“This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis of childhood, of dignity and of survival,” said Simon Mane, World Vision’s national director in Sudan. “Children are dying from preventable diseases because we lack adequate resources to respond. While we are doing our best with limited funding, we cannot meet the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by the security crisis.”

World Vision Sudan has already initiated emergency lifesaving health and WASH (water, sanitation and health) interventions using limited resources. However, urgent and scaled-up support is needed to contain the outbreak and prevent further loss of life – especially during this rainy season in support of Sudan’s health ministry.

In the hardest-hit states of Blue Nile, Red Sea, East Darfur, South Kordofan, and South Darfur, World Vision has delivered cholera treatment kits to nearly 9,000 people and provided emergency water and sanitation services to over 25,000. As the outbreak rapidly spreads, existing efforts are being stretched thin due to inadequate funding.

Critical funding gaps are slowing down prevention, treatment, and rapid response. Without urgent support, thousands more could fall ill or die.

To address the scale of the emergency, World Vision is appealing for $5 million to expand life-saving services, especially for children and families in the hardest-to-reach areas.

“Every day we wait, means more children get sick and more may not survive,” added Mane. “We are calling on the global community to act now, before this crisis claims even more young lives.”

Without a coordinated and well-funded response, the disease could spiral into a broader regional health emergency. The disease continues to surge in Darfur, prompting fears of cross-border spread into new locations of Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan, which already has a high caseload.

World Vision urgently calls upon the international community, donors and partners to provide immediate and substantial funding to scale up this critical response. Without collective action and solidarity, the cholera outbreak will continue its devastating trajectory, further compounding the already dire and urgent humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

“Every moment of delay puts more lives at risk. Let us come together to contain this deadly outbreak and bring hope and healing to the people of Sudan,” said Mane.

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit worldvision.org or follow on X @WorldVisionUSA.