JUBA, Sudan (Reuters) - Cholera has seen a resurgence in southern Sudan, where 20 have died over the weekend following heavy rains that drove hundreds of thousands from their homes, a local official said on Monday.

Cholera, which has been in decline in southern Sudan until recent rains, has infected almost 6,000 people in the region and killed at least 44 this year in other parts of the semi-autonomous region.

“Twenty people so far died of a disease believed to be cholera over the weekend and many others are now admitted in Aweil hospital,” said Tong Aken Ngor a member of parliament for the Aweil area of Bahr al-Ghazal state in southern Sudan.

Ngor said some 250,000 people had been made homeless due to heavy rains that caused flooding and destroyed houses in the area.

Ngor said many people in the flooded areas had little food or shelter and called for urgent international help. Southern Sudan is emerging from a civil war after a peace treaty signed in 2005 that created an autonomous government for the region.

Cholera is a water-borne disease which causes vomiting and acute diarrhea and can rapidly lead to death from dehydration if not treated.

A cholera outbreak in 2006 killed 700 people and affected around 25,000.