Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

Zimbabwe Cholera Death Toll Nears 1,000

Zimbabwe Cholera Death Toll Nears 1,000, UN Reports

New York, Dec 15 2008 7:10PM

The death toll from Zimbabwe’s worst-ever cholera outbreak is approaching 1,000, the United Nations reported today, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the country’s leadership is not doing enough to address the dire situation in the Southern African nation.

“We continue to witness a failure of the leadership in Zimbabwe to address the political, economic, human rights and humanitarian crisis that is confronting the country and to do what is best for the people of Zimbabwe,” Mr. Ban told a closed-door session of the Security Council.

The UN said today the number of suspected cholera cases has risen to 18, 413 with 978 deaths. The outbreak is now affecting nine out of ten provinces in the country and spilling across borders into South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique.

About half of all cases in Zimbabwe are in one suburb of the capital, Harare, and another 26 per cent in a town on the border with South Africa.

UN agencies have been scaling up their efforts in recent weeks to tackle the crisis, which is the most serious ever registered in Zimbabwe, as well as the effects of collapsing social services.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has drawn up a comprehensive cholera response operation plan, and is in the process of procuring and distributing emergency stocks of supplies to run health centres. The Government has accepted the plan and has also declared a state of emergency.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Zimbabwe is mired in a crisis brought about by a confluence of factors, including three years of failed harvests, bad governance and hyperinflation, among others.

The country has endured months of political tensions after disputed presidential elections in March involving the incumbent Robert Mugabe and the opposition figure Morgan Tsvangirai. A power-sharing deal on the formation of a new government was reached in September with the help of regional leaders, but outstanding issues remain, jeopardizing the deal’s implementation.

In his briefing to the Council today, Mr. Ban noted that the lack of progress on the political front is accompanied by a “dramatic” deterioration in living conditions and of the humanitarian situation.

“The current cholera epidemic is only the most visible manifestation of a profound multi-sectoral crisis, encompassing food, agriculture, education, health, water, sanitation and HIV/AIDS.”

He reported that close to 80 per cent of the country has no access to safe drinking water, and the vast majority of the population does not have adequate sanitary facilities – the very conditions that have allowed the acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or water to develop and flourish.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.