A mass cholera vaccination campaign has been rolled out across Darfur in an effort to stem Sudan’s longest-ever outbreak of the disease. Health workers began administering oral doses in parts of South Darfur on September 21st, extending to East Darfur a day later, with plans to cover North Darfur before month’s end. The initiative, led by Sudan’s health ministry with backing from the WHO and UNICEF, aims to reach 1.86m people over the age of one.

The timing is critical. Since the first case emerged in May, more than 12,000 infections and 350 deaths have been recorded in Darfur alone. Nationwide, the toll has climbed past 113,000 cases and 3,000 deaths since last year, a record for the country. The epidemic has flourished amid war, displacement and the collapse of basic services, which have left millions without clean water or sanitation. Flooding during the rainy season has only worsened contamination risks.

Delivering vaccines to six localities in Darfur required complex cross-border and cross-line logistics, with agencies surmounting transport blockages and insecurity. The WHO has dispatched trainers and volunteer vaccinators to sustain the ten-day campaign, which aspires to reach 97% of the target population.

Cholera is both a public-health scourge and a marker of poverty. Containing it will demand more than vaccines: reliable surveillance, treatment access, safe water, and sanitation are all essential. Yet in Sudan’s conflict-scarred peripheries, even these modest ambitions remain precarious