A cholera outbreak in Ethiopia’s Gambella region has resulted in at least 31 deaths and more than 1,500 reported cases over the past month, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The international medical organization has raised concerns over the rapid spread of the disease, which is being exacerbated by the arrival of people fleeing violence in neighboring South Sudan.
The outbreak is not confined to Gambella, as several other regions in Ethiopia, including Amhara, are also grappling with cholera.
Amhara, the country’s second-largest region, is among the hardest hit. Ethiopia, home to approximately 120 million people, is facing a growing public health challenge as the disease spreads through contaminated food and water.
The crisis extends beyond Ethiopia’s borders. In South Sudan’s Akobo County, located in the Upper Nile region, 1,300 cholera cases have been recorded in the last four weeks.
The outbreak is worsening due to ongoing violence between the South Sudanese government and armed groups, which has displaced thousands and left many without access to healthcare, safe water, and sanitation.
South Sudan, which has struggled with chronic instability and poverty since gaining independence in 2011, officially declared a cholera epidemic in October.
The World Health Organization reported that in 2023 alone, 4,000 people died from cholera worldwide, a 71 percent increase from the previous year, with the majority of cases occurring in Africa.
As the situation deteriorates, health organizations are calling for urgent action to contain the spread of the disease and provide aid to those affected.
AFP
