The decision was made in conjunction with authorities in Kassala state, UN agencies and experts after the cholera virus was detected.

“We are declaring a cholera epidemic because of the weather and because drinking water has been contaminated,” Ibrahim said, thenationalnews.com reported. 

The country has endured a war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army, under Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by his former deputy Gen Mohamed Dagalo.

The conflict had led to a major humanitarian crisis, with more than 25 million people facing acute hunger. Famine has been declared in a displacement camp in the vast western region of Darfur.

The International Organization for Migration said a week ago that Sudan was at “a catastrophic breaking point” caused by famine and flooding.

For weeks, the country has been under torrential rainfall, with Kassala state badly hit.

Authorities there have appealed for urgent international aid.

Thousands of people have been displaced by flooding, causing an increase in sickness including diarrhoea, especially in children.

Cholera causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps, and generally arises from eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium.