Ethiopia hit by deadly cholera outbreak amid flooding

At least 23 people have died in a new cholera outbreak that hit communities displaced by recent flooding in eastern Ethiopia, the charity Save the Children says.

In a statement on Thursday the UK-based relief agency has said more than 770 cases of cholera have been confirmed in just two weeks in the Somali region, the area worst hit by the recent flooding and unusually heavy rains.

The downpours have affected 1.5 million people across the country with the numbers forced to leave their homes reaching 600,000, the UN said.

But only 10% of those affected were currently receiving aid as Ethiopia continued to struggle with gaps in funding, it added.

More than 90 districts across Ethiopia have reported cases of cholera with Save the Children warning the situation could worsen as more rains are expected in at least three regions.

The heavy rains that hit Ethiopia, along with Somalia and Kenya, are induced by the El Niño weather phenomenon as well as another known as the Indian Ocean Dipole.
By Kalkidan Yibeltal