Ethiopia: Cholera Outbreak - Flash Update #2 (As of 25 October 2022)

This report is prepared with the support and collaboration of cluster coordinators and humanitarian partners. This is an information product that might be followed by further updates. Boundaries, names and designations of districts/zones indicated in the narration in the report do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Please contact ocha-eth-communication@un.org for any comment or question you may have on this publication.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Cholera outbreak is active in 23 kebeles of 3 woredas of Bale Zone of Oromia and 9 kebeles of 1 woreda of Liban zone, Somali region. As of 25 October 2022, 273 cholera cases have been reported including 9 deaths. Suspected cases in East Bale are under investigation. Reportedly, 114 additional woredas are at risk of an outbreak.

• The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the Oromia and Somali Regional Health Bureaus (RHB), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and partners have been supporting the scale-up of health and WASH sectorial priorities.

• The caseload has increased by 30 per cent since October 10 with new daily cases reported in Berbere and Kersadula woredas. According to EPHI, close to 459,000 people are at high risk in the four woredas, especially IDPs living in sites.

• The response is hindered by insufficient funding and partners’ presence. Shortage of WASH treatment chemicals, limited amount of water storage items (reservoir tanks, jerry cans, etc.), insufficient water trucking capacity and large number of non-functional water schemes represent the major gaps.