UN warns upcoming heavy rains to trigger cholera outbreak in Somalia

The upcoming rains in Somalia are expected to trigger cholera outbreaks in areas where the disease has not been observed for years, the UN humanitarian agency warned. The disease is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from feces.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has teamed up with its partners and Somalia’s health authorities to step up response and preparedness activities, guided by a six-month plan of action that requires 5.9 million U.S. dollars to implement.

The cholera outbreak is spreading in Somalia, with more than 4,380 cases and 54 associated deaths recorded in 32 districts from Jan. 1 to March 18, according to the UN. Sixty-two percent of the deaths were among children under the age of five.

OCHA said the outbreak is driven by high levels of malnutrition among children, insufficient access to clean water, open defecation practices, latrines with poor hygiene, and inadequate sanitation among communities, among other factors.

The UN agency said the ongoing response is facing challenges, including limited skilled health workers to manage complicated cases, high population movements, low community sensitization, poor infrastructure in treatment centers, and inadequate funding.