Cholera patients being treated at MSF-run hospital in Malakal in Upper Nile State. (Photo: MSF).

Health authorities in Unity State have reported 5,403 suspected cholera cases and more than 101 related deaths since the outbreak was declared in October 2024 – amid rapid spread and insufficient response.

John Mut, Director General of the state ministry of health said the death toll has sharply risen from 70 people on Sunday to nearly 100 as of December 24.

Mr. Mut narrated that the outbreak is worsened by open defecation, flooding and the overcrowding at displacement camps.

According to him, the state health facilities face a serious lack of oral rehydration solutions and insufficient vaccines.

The health official also said the scale of the crisis could be far higher as many infections are nursed at home due to stigma around the disease.

He added that the crises-hit local populations do not even bother to adhere to prevention guidelines like handwashing and proper hygiene

“Cholera is still worsening. Even today, we have like ninety death case already. And 5,403 accumulated cases since the start of outbreak,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“People are still being brought. Because of the situation people are in, they are not really adhering to the preventing measures like hands washing, cleaning the environment, lack of using latrine as the mean of defection.”

“People are using open defecations this all are counting for the factors for cholera infection.”

The official further called on the national government and humanitarian partners to quickly respond through supply of oral rehydration solutions and vaccines.

“We have reported this issue to the national ministry of health and they are doing their level best to make sure Oral Cholera Vaccines are being brought to Unity state.”

“Although the situation is worsening, we are trying our level best with our partners to do the case management process but with help of those CVs, I think when they arrived in the state, at least the crisis or level of the disease will go down.”

First declared on October 28 in Upper Nile State, the outbreak has since spread to Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei, Lakes, Eastern and Central Equatoria states, reporting thousands of cases across the country, according to the World Health Organization.

On Monday, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called for urgent intervention to the rapidly escalating cholera outbreak in South Sudan – especially in the camps for internally displaced people.

MSF’s Emergency Response Coordinator Albert Stern said that 1,210 cholera patients have been treated by the organization’s medics in Unity State capital Bentiu, where he said 92 people have died.