At least 23 individuals have succumbed to cholera within a fortnight in eastern Ethiopia, a region heavily affected by severe flooding, as reported by the NGO Save the Children on Thursday. The organization voiced concerns that the outbreak might escalate beyond control in this area.
Cholera, an acute diarrheal illness caused by consuming contaminated food or water containing the bacterium Vibrio cholera, has resulted in 772 confirmed cases in the rain-hit Somali region of eastern Ethiopia, with over 80% of those affected being children under 5 years old. The disease often remains asymptomatic in three-quarters of the infected individuals. However, in 10 to 20% of cases, it can lead to severe symptoms such as profuse diarrhea and vomiting, leading to rapid dehydration.
Save the Children emphasized that despite no recorded cases since mid-September, the current outbreak surged due to a combination of factors like flooded water supply systems, inadequate sanitation services, and impaired water treatment facilities.
Expressing concern over the situation, the NGO highlighted the potential for the cholera epidemic to spiral out of control unless prompt action is taken by the government and donors to offer clean water and sanitation services to the flood-displaced communities.
The torrential rains in Ethiopia have resulted in flooding that claimed the lives of 57 individuals, displaced more than 600,000 people, primarily in the southern regions, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).
The adverse weather conditions associated with the El Nino climatic phenomenon have also caused casualties in neighboring countries, with more than 100 fatalities in Somalia and 120 in Kenya.
