Congo cholera outbreak: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its most severe cholera outbreak in 25 years, with nearly 2,000 deaths recorded since January, according to the U.N. children’s agency.
The crisis is hitting children especially hard. In one incident in Kinshasa, a cholera wave swept through an orphanage and killed 16 of 62 children within days, roughly a quarter of the residents.
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Cholera is a fast-spreading diarrhoeal disease linked to unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. Health officials across Africa have warned of a wider regional rise in cases this year, with outbreaks reported in multiple countries.
In Congo, the situation is being worsened by conflict, disrupted health services and limited access to clean water. Authorities have documented more than 64,000 infections and over 1,800 deaths since the start of the year, with thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths among children. The outbreak has spread to 17 of the country’s 26 provinces.
Access to basic services remains a major challenge. Less than half of the population has basic water access, and only a small minority uses basic sanitation. The government has outlined a national cholera elimination plan, but funding gaps remain significant.
UNICEF has called for additional support to sustain emergency response and scale up sanitation, hygiene and healthcare efforts, warning that without stronger, coordinated funding and action, the death toll could rise further.
