Sudan has reported a cholera outbreak, with 18 deaths from the disease in the eastern state of Gedaref and three deaths in the capital Khartoum.

In Khartoum, 13 people have been hospitalized, bringing the total number of suspected Vibrio intestinal infection cases to 265.

"The first suspected cases of cholera have been registered in Kater village, Gedaref state, where the number of suspected cholera cases has reached 265," the Sudanese Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The Sudanese Doctors' Union yesterday issued a warning about the spread of dengue fever, cholera, smallpox and malaria in the country.

The non-governmental medical union called on "regional and international health organizations and United Nations bodies to provide assistance."

"The wide spread of dengue fever and cholera, and before that smallpox and malaria, confirm the fragility of the health system in countries not affected by war," the Syndicate states.

According to the World Health Organization, outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever have been reported in eastern Sudan, where thousands of people have fled due to fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Force.

The armed conflict has left more than 3.000 people dead, tens of thousands injured and more than five million displaced, with most of the violence concentrated around the capital.