MSF medical personnel in Abyei | Courtesy

ABYEI ADMINISTRATIVE AREA (Eye Radio) – Authorities in the Abyei Administrative Area report that 24 people have died and over 1,000 others have been admitted with cholera in recent days, as the region struggles with a severe outbreak without access to vaccines.

Yohana Akol, the Minister of Information in Abyei, confirmed to Eye Radio this morning that the area has recorded 24 deaths and 1,054 cholera cases in just two weeks.

He warned that the cholera situation is worsening daily, and health facilities are overwhelmed by the surge in patients, lacking crucial vaccines.

Akol stated that the hardest-hit area is Amiet Market, which hosts a large population of returnees and refugees from Sudan.

“The cholera situation is continuously worsening and at a very high level. There are now 1,054 recorded cases of cholera,” Akol said.

“The area with the highest number of cases is Amiet Market, northeast of Abyei. It is a densely populated market, including refugees fleeing the civil war in Sudan, stranded returnees who have settled in Abyei, and the host population.

The death toll, according to the latest updates from the Ministry of Health, has now reached 24 due to the cholera outbreak in the area.”

Akol reiterated that local health facilities are struggling to cope with the overwhelming number of cases.

He appealed to the National Ministry of Health to urgently dispatch cholera vaccines to the area, underscoring the increasing severity of the outbreak.

“We appeal to the National Ministry of Health, especially the Minister, Hon. Sarah Clito, to fulfil her promise to intervene with the vaccination as an immediate response,” Akol urged.

“Until now, the vaccination has not reached the area. Therefore, we appeal to the national government to expedite the vaccination process, as the health situation is deteriorating and timely support is needed to save lives.”