Home / Health / Mpox Outbreak Threatens Darfur's Displaced
Mpox Outbreak Threatens Darfur's Displaced
1 Jun
Summary
- Hundreds of thousands in Darfur camps face mpox threat.
- Conflict hinders healthcare and aid access in Sudan.
- Malnutrition worsens mpox risks for vulnerable populations.
A suspected mpox outbreak is unfolding in Sudan's Darfur region, placing hundreds of thousands of people in displacement camps at severe risk. Aid groups report at least 200 suspected cases across five towns in the Jebel Marra area. The ongoing conflict has devastated healthcare infrastructure and limited essential aid access, exacerbating the crisis.
Aid workers fear the disease could reach Tawila, a camp housing nearly a million displaced individuals, if swift action isn't taken. Save the Children has deployed medical staff and secured funding for medicines. The situation is worsened by widespread malnutrition, which weakens immune systems and increases the likelihood of severe mpox complications and fatalities.
Seasonal rains are expected to further complicate transport and medicine deliveries. Without adequate funding and humanitarian access, health facilities remain critically undersupplied. The vulnerable populations, especially children and pregnant women, are most at risk due to rampant malnutrition.
