Doha: Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) announced the death of 24 people and hospitalization of more than 800 others in White Nile State, southern Sudan, over the past three days due to a waterborne disease. The non-governmental organization explained in a statement that the outbreak followed an attack on "Um Dabakir" power station, located 275 kilometers south of the capital, Khartoum. The attack disrupted access to drinking water in the city of Kosti in White Nile State, with the river suspected to be the source of the infection. Many families resorted to collecting water using animal-drawn carts after a significant power outage in the area.

According to Qatar News Agency, the organization noted that the cholera treatment center at Kosti University Hospital is overwhelmed with patients suffering from severe diarrhea, dehydration, and vomiting. It warned that the situation is truly alarming and is on the verge of spiraling out of control, especially after an additional 800 patients were admitted to the center between Wednesday and Friday.

In response, authorities have banned water collection from the river, shut down most local restaurants as a precautionary measure, and called for additional doses of chlorine to be added to the water distribution system.

In January, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned of increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure, including power stations, which have disrupted access to electricity and clean water for millions of people. Prior to that, the Sudanese government declared a cholera outbreak in the country, reporting 24,609 cases and 699 deaths by October.