KHARTOUM - The number of cholera cases in Sudan has climbed to 21,806, including 632 deaths, while dengue fever cases reached 1,329, with four deaths, the Sudanese Health Ministry said in a report on Wednesday, stressing the urgent need to intensify efforts to curb the rise.

According to the ministry, 11 states have been affected by the cholera outbreak. In the eastern Kassala State, which registered the highest number of cholera cases, the health authorities have launched a major campaign to sanitize the environment and combat disease outbreaks.

Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed, health chief of Kassala, attributed the worsening environmental conditions to heavy rainfall and the continued influx of people fleeing violence in nearby states.

In the meantime, the non-governmental Sudanese Doctors Network warned of the surging dengue fever cases reported daily at Kassala Hospital, highlighting a disease spread among the displaced.

"We urgently appeal to international and regional organizations and local authorities to quickly address the epidemic in its cradle," the network said in a statement.

The marked increase in cholera and dengue cases is part of a broader health crisis in Sudan, where fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has raged since April 2023. Other epidemic diseases, including malaria and measles, have also spread.

The United Nations estimates the conflict has killed about 20,000 people and displaced millions.