MSF warns of cholera risk for 150,000 displaced people in Bentiu and Malakal

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says about 150,000 internally displaced people in Bentiu and Malakal are at increased risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases due to cuts in humanitarian funding and the withdrawal of aid organisations.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, MSF said funding shortages were threatening essential water, sanitation, hygiene and healthcare services in the two displacement camps.

The organisation said Bentiu camp in Unity State, which hosts approximately 111,000 people, faces serious sanitation challenges. About 60 people share one functioning latrine, while only 109 handwashing stations serve the entire camp.

In Malakal, Upper Nile State, water supplies for approximately 40,000 people could be disrupted without additional funding. Sanitation services, including the emptying of nearly 900 latrines, are also at risk.

MSF also reported that healthcare services in Malakal have declined following the withdrawal of the International Medical Corps, leaving local health authorities struggling with shortages of medical supplies and health workers.

The organisation said South Sudan has recorded nearly 110,000 cholera cases and 1,970 related deaths since 2024. More than 14,000 cases were reported nationwide between January and September this year.

MSF is calling on international donors and humanitarian organisations to urgently provide funding to maintain essential services and prevent another public health emergency.

The organisation warns that without continued access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation and basic healthcare, thousands of displaced people could face further disease outbreaks and preventable deaths.