MOGADISHU, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN humanitarian agency confirmed on Monday that 196 people have died from acute watery diarrhea (AWD) and cholera outbreak in Somalia since January.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update on cholera that a total of 7,909 AWD/cholera cases have been reported in 11 regions (38 districts) since the beginning of 2017.
It said the health partners are supporting affected communities with hygiene kits as well as oral rehydration salts to manage moderate cases in the communities.
Severe cases are managed in the cholera treatment centers established in Bay and Bayhow hospitals, said the UN.
"In Lower Jubba, Banadir and Bay regions, in areas where partners have access and have been able to mount a response, such as Baidoa town, cases have reduced," said the UN.
However, surveillance reports show that the epidemic is spreading to inaccessible areas, especially to villages outside Baidoa town and in other inaccessible area in Bakool and in Gedo regions.
"In Bakool region, the most affected districts are Wajid and Burdhuhunle and in Gedo, Garbahaarey district. In these inaccessible areas, the disease is 4.5 more deadly compared to accessible areas where WASH (water, sanitation and hygine) and health services have been provided to the affected communities," it said.
According to the UN, some communities are relying on buying water, the prices of which are spiking beyond the reach of many due to the depletion of water sources as a result of severe drought.
"Communities are then forced to resort to unsafe water sources, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases such as AWD/cholera," it said.
