Cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia and South Sudan have killed dozens and infected thousands, worsened by conflict and displacement.

At least 31 people have died from more than 1,500 reported cholera cases in Ethiopia's Gambella region over the past month, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Friday, stating that the outbreak is "rapidly spreading."

The international non-governmental organization (NGO) highlighted that the situation has worsened with the influx of people fleeing violence in neighboring South Sudan.

"Cholera is rapidly spreading across western Ethiopia, and in parallel, the outbreak in South Sudan is ongoing, endangering thousands of lives," MSF said in a statement.

Several regions in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country with approximately 120 million people, are currently battling cholera outbreaks. Among the hardest-hit areas is Amhara, the nation’s second-largest region.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacterium, often originating from fecal contamination.

In South Sudan's Akobo County, located in the Upper Nile region, 1,300 cholera cases have been reported in the past four weeks, according to MSF.

The organization pointed out that recent violence in Upper Nile between the South Sudanese government and armed groups is further "worsening the outbreak."

"Thousands are being displaced, losing access to healthcare, safe water, and sanitation," MSF stated.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, continues to struggle with chronic instability and poverty. The country officially declared a cholera epidemic in October.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that approximately 4,000 people died from cholera in 2023, marking a 71 percent increase from the previous year. The majority of these deaths occurred in Africa, despite cholera being a "preventable and easily treatable disease."