Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim has declared a cholera epidemic, attributing it to contaminated drinking water and adverse weather conditions.

Sudan has recently been hit by a cholera outbreak that has claimed nearly two dozen lives and affected hundreds more, according to health authorities. Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim reported on Sunday that the disease has resulted in at least 22 deaths and that there have been at least 354 confirmed cases across the war-torn country in recent weeks.

Ibrahim declared a cholera epidemic on Saturday, attributing the outbreak to "weather conditions and the contamination of drinking water." This decision was made in collaboration with authorities in the eastern state of Kassala, United Nations agencies, and experts following the detection of the cholera virus by the public health laboratory.

Margaret Harris, an official from the World Health Organization (WHO), stated in a media call on Friday that Sudan had reported 11,327 cholera cases and 316 deaths so far. She added that more cases are expected than have currently been reported.

Cholera is a rapid, highly contagious infection that causes severe diarrhea and can lead to dehydration and death within hours if untreated, as per the WHO. It spreads through contaminated food or water and is particularly dangerous for children under five.

While cholera is not uncommon in Sudan, the current outbreak adds to the region's challenges. A major cholera outbreak in 2017 resulted in at least 700 deaths and around 22,000 infections within two months.

Compounding the crisis, recent seasonal floods have caused extensive damage, killing dozens and destroying critical infrastructure across 12 of Sudan's 18 provinces. The United Nations’ migration agency reports that around 118,000 people have been displaced due to the floods.

The ongoing civil war, which began in April last year following escalating tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, has further exacerbated the situation. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as "Hemedti"), has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other cities into battlegrounds, damaging civilian infrastructure and straining an already weakened healthcare system. Many hospitals and medical facilities have closed due to the conflict.

The war has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced over 10.7 million people, and pushed many towards starvation, with famine already reported in a displaced persons camp in northern Darfur.

Efforts to end the 16-month conflict continue, with a new round of talks starting in Switzerland on Wednesday, despite the absence of the army. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations are working to facilitate ceasefire discussions between the Sudanese army and the RSF. On Sunday, Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council announced plans to send a government delegation to Cairo to meet with US officials amid increasing US pressure to join the ongoing truce talks in Switzerland.