UNICEF warns about surging child cholera cases in DR Congo
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A recent surge in child cholera cases has led UNICEF to voice the alarm as the crisis-stricken country is hit with yet another issue.
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Democratic Republic of Congo Defense Forces gather in the North Kivu province village of Mukondi, March 9, 2023 (AP)
UNICEF issued Saturday a warning regarding the escalating child cholera crisis in the tumultuous North-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The organization estimates that over 8,000 children under the age of five have already been afflicted by the disease in the region this year.
The eastern province, which has grappled with conflict for nearly thirty years, has seen a devastating impact on its population due to the prolonged unrest.
UNICEF's latest report indicates that a total of 31,342 cases have been reported nationwide in 2023 so far, with a significant number of those affected being children. Of the total cases, a staggering 21,400 have been recorded in North-Kivu alone, as reported by the health ministry.
UNICEF's Senior Emergency Coordinator for DR Congo, Shameza Abdulla, who is stationed in Goma, expressed grave concerns about the situation. Abdulla emphasized the alarming scale of the cholera outbreak and its potential to wreak havoc.
"If immediate measures are not implemented in the coming months, there is a substantial risk that the disease could spread to regions that have remained unaffected for many years," Abdulla warned.
"There is also a looming threat of further spread within displacement sites, where existing systems are already overwhelmed. In these conditions, the vulnerable population, particularly children, faces a high risk of falling ill and even succumbing to the disease," he added.
The over 8,000 cases of child cholera in the province this year have surpassed last year's figures by more than sixfold, underscoring the urgency of the crisis.
The memory of a cholera epidemic in 2017, which affected numerous parts of the country including the capital Kinshasa, is still fresh in the collective memory. The 2017 outbreak saw around 55,000 cases and over 1,100 fatalities.
The conflict has also triggered massive population displacement. The International Organization for Migration disclosed in June that roughly one million individuals had been uprooted in the eastern region due to conflict during the initial quarter of the year.
Unfortunately, the camps housing these displaced people lack the necessary capacity to manage the crisis, and the dire living conditions are facilitating the spread of cholera.
In response to the escalating situation, UNICEF has called for $62.5 million in funding to strengthen its preventive and responsive measures to contain the outbreak.
The organization aims to provide aid to 1.8 million individuals, including a million children, by the end of the year. As of now, the funding appeal has only been met with a meager nine percent of the required amount.
The unfolding child cholera crisis in DR Congo's North-Kivu province is an urgent call to action, demanding coordinated efforts to prevent further devastation and safeguard the lives of vulnerable children and communities.
