Cholera outbreak kills 60 people in Southwest

At least 60 people including children have died following an outbreak of diarrhoea in the last two weeks in southern Somalia, senator said on Saturday.

Senator, Hussein Sheikh Mohamud the situation was yet to be contained by medical authorities in Southwest State since most of them were ill-equipped to handle cases of outbreaks.

Mohamud said 37 people which 70% of number is constituted to be children have died in Burdhuxulle town which located near Wajid town in the past 48 hours.

“Apart from those died in Burduhunle, the disease also another 14 people Hawalbarbar town where nine more people in Wanlaweyn town are thought to have died from the disease, which can be transmitted through contaminated food and water,” said Mohamud who is recently elected senator from Southwest.

He appealed for an urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance from the UN and International aid agencies to help people in the southern region who were affected by the drought crisis.

Cholera, a highly contagious intestinal infection, is transmitted by water soiled by human waste.

After a short incubation period of two to five days, the disease causes severe diarrhoea, draining the body of its water. The sudden and dramatic loss of fluid is often fatal.

Meanwhile, Somalia is facing its worst drought in decades. The humanitarian crisis has hit many regions in Southern, Central and Northern Somalia with many people needing emergency aid.