29 die in S. Sudan cholera outbreak

KAMPALA: The UN children’s agency says 29 people have died in South Sudan’s latest cholera outbreak.
UNICEF said Friday that cholera had sickened 484 people by the end of June and that the number of cases continues to rise in the nation’s capital of Juba.
Children under 5 comprise 13 percent of the cases, UNICEF said, adding that funding is needed as the agency has been using its flexible internal resources to meet critical needs.
Last year a cholera outbreak in South Sudan infected more than 6,000 people and killed 167, according to World Health Organization figures.
Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death.
South Sudan’s cholera outbreak intensifies the humanitarian needs of a poor country facing a violent conflict that has displaced more than 2 million people as government troops try to put down a rebellion.