One year since the ongoing cholera outbreak was declared in South Sudan on the 27th October 2024, the disease continues to plague parts of the country. Since the first suspected case was reported on 28th September 2024, in Renk County, Upper Nile State, among people fleeing conflict and a cholera crisis in neighbouring Sudan, the outbreak is one of the worst and longest witnessed in the country’s young history. As of 9 October 2025, over 93,000 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported, resulting in 1,564 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak.


Amidst ongoing sporadic cases, a larger crisis looms, exacerbated by a complex mix of violence, inadequate water and sanitation facilities, displacement, climate shocks, poor vaccination coverage and dwindling humanitarian and donor support. Not to mention that people on the move in and out of the country or neighbouring countries highly contributed to the spread of the disease, as they are mostly cut off from regular vaccination programmes and live in challenging conditions. These interconnected issues not only complicate the response to cholera but have also triggered a surge in other waterborne diseases, presenting an even greater threat to the people of South Sudan.


Cases of Hepatitis E, a severe waterborne disease that primarily affects pregnant women, is resurging in various regions, with exponential increases in cases and minimal intervention. In Renk, where the ongoing cholera outbreak began, more than 900 Hepatitis E cases have been reported since early mid-2025, driven by overcrowding in transit camps and a lack of adequate sanitation infrastructure.


In Aweil in Northern Bah-el-Ghazal state, limited access to clean drinking water and deteriorating hygiene standards have resulted in a worrying increase in Hepatitis E. Abyei Special Administrative area grapples with similar challenges and Hepatitis E has almost become an endemic problem as conflict and displacement have left communities vulnerable and without proper healthcare resources.


The country’s fragile healthcare system, already reeling under the burden of providing basic healthcare services to its people with the ongoing crises, has been slow to respond to disease outbreaks, often relying on support from external organisations, which is currently dwindling amid a shrinking donor funding, including USAID cuts.


The confluence of these crises creates a pressing need for a coordinated response to not only manage the ongoing cholera outbreak but also address the broader health emergencies brewing in South Sudan.


This comms initiative will aim to use the one-year mark of the declaration of the cholera outbreak in South Sudan as a hook to alert on the issues behind the ongoing cholera outbreak, while drawing attention to the other diseases caused by similar factors. We will also seek to mobilise more action towards finding lasting solutions to the issues in South Sudan to alleviate the suffering of the people.