$5.5m needed in DRC cholera fight - UN
2011-11-19 11:20
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Geneva - The United Nations and aid organisations urgently need $5.5m to battle cholera in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN spokesperson said on Friday.
Agencies estimate that $3m is required for water and sanitation and $2.5m for medical care in the four provinces along the Congo river.
"This $5.5m is really urgently needed because the rainy season is set to begin," said Elisabeth Byrs from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Cholera is rife in DR Congo where 17 515 cases have been registered in eight of the country's eleven provinces since January, according to the UN.
Widespread sanitation problems make it difficult to tackle the highly contagious intestinal infection that can kill if not treated properly.
