UN Reports Spike in Cholera Cases in DR Congo

"There has been a spike in cases" since mid-December, with figures on the rise in the capital Kinshasa in particular, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Cholera, a contagious intestinal infection, has taken its heaviest toll on eastern regions however, with a quarter of all cases reported in Sud-Kivu province.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has allotted $4.4 million to children's aid agency UNICEF and $4.7 million to the World Health Organization to help combat its spread.

"Aid organizations say they are confident that they will beat this emergency, but added that durable solutions are required and that the Congolese authorities will need to prioritize investments in clean water, sanitation and hygiene," OCHA said in a statement.

Source: AFP