UNICEF: Cholera outbreak in South Sudan threatens the lives of 50,000 children

South Sudan is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in 20 years, with 694 reported deaths and over 40,000 infections in just six months, according to UNICEF.

The outbreak was officially declared in October 2024, with children under the age of 15 accounting for half of the reported cases.

Doctors Without Borders has warned that ongoing violence in Upper Nile State, in the northeast of the country, is worsening the crisis. Since late February, around 50,000 people have been displaced, with 10,000 seeking refuge in Ethiopia, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The United Nations has also warned that South Sudan is at risk of slipping back into civil war.

Cholera, caused by consuming contaminated food or water, leads to severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can result in dehydration and death without immediate medical treatment. Young children are especially vulnerable.

UNICEF has reported more than 178,000 cholera cases across 16 countries in East and Southern Africa between January 2024 and March 2025, with approximately 2,900 deaths—many of them children. In Angola alone, over 7,500 cases and 294 deaths were recorded between January 7 and March 18.