UNICEF: The tragedy of Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak

HARARE, Zimbabwe, 19 December 2008 Deep grief is evident in Nigel Chigudu's eyes. In a tortured voice, he slowly recounts the harrowing tragedy that saw him lose five siblings in five hours to the cholera epidemic that has been sweeping across Zimbabwe.
"Zimbabwean children are already vulnerable, a quarter of them are orphaned, most have fewer meals than their peers across the globe," said UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe Roeland Monasch. "These children now feel the severity of a national cholera crisis, which in some instances is robbing them of their lives. It is vital that we bring them life-saving interventions now."
As urgent relief, UNICEF has provided hundreds of thousands of water treatment tablets with a capacity to treat and purify water in more than 3 million households. It has also distributed thousands of oral rehydration salts, IV fluids and drips to treat diarrhoeal dehydration, as well as washing soap and buckets.


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