South Sudan is facing a prolonged and geographically expanding cholera emergency, with over79,000 cases and more than1,400 deaths reported to date, officials have said.
A July 8 joint press release by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, said the situation was not merely a public health crisis, but a multi-sectoral emergency exacerbated by flooding, displacement, and limited access to basic services.
The press release followed an extraordinary inter-ministerial meeting on July 7 2025.between the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Minister, Albino Akol Atak; and the Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms Anita Kiki Gbeho,
The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to a unified, whole-of-government, UN, and society response in recognition of the severity and complexity of the situation.
The meeting issued a communique outlining the agreements and priority actions agreed on, as well as timeline for implementation.
The proposals include the rapid deployment of medical, WASH, and nutrition supplies in high-risk counties ahead of peak flooding, and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of essential health and nutrition services in affected and at-risk areas.
Also proposed was the expansion of surveillance coverage and surge capacity for early detection and response, and the immediate scale-up of chlorinated water access, latrine desludging, hygiene promotion, and community engagement.
Another proposal was the sustaining and expansion of both reactive and preventive OCV interventions and the facilitation of unimpeded humanitarian access and strengthen logistics to accelerate response efforts.
The mobilization of domestic and international resources and implementation of robust tracking of funding flows, stock-outs, and service coverage was also proposed.
With the Government of South Sudan committing to taking immediate measures to contain the outbreak and mitigate its impact, the meeting said the next eight weeks are pivotal, noting that with peak flooding on the horizon, time was of the essence to prevent a further escalation of the outbreak.
The meeting reaffirmed a unified vision to protect lives, preserve critical systems, and build national resilience to future public health and climate-related emergencies.