KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan reported more than 1,000 dengue fever cases Thursday, with 11 deaths in eight states.

“The total number of reported cases of dengue fever exceeded 1,000 cases, with 11 deaths,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

“The state most affected by the disease is Gedaref State, due to the density of mosquitoes and the lack of herd immunity,” it said.

“Cases of dengue fever were recorded in eight states in 2023, compared to 12 states in 2022,” it added.

The World Health Organization said an outbreak of cholera and dengue fever had been reported in eastern Sudan, where thousands were taking shelter as fighting raged between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in the nation's capital of Khartoum and other cities.

The health sector has been hit with a series of crises as a result of the conflict that has been ongoing since April.

More than 3,000 people have been killed, tens of thousands injured and more than 5 million have been displaced, with most of the violence concentrated around the capital.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi