UN Appeals for Assistance Amid East, Southern Africa Cholera Outbreaks

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is appealing for $150 millions in assistance for 11 eastern and southern African nations experiencing cholera outbreaks. UNICEF says poor water and sanitation, drought, insecurity, extreme weather patterns have exacerbated the spread of the water-borne disease, with Malawi and Mozambique bearing the heaviest burden.  Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Somali, Ethiopia and South Sudan are the 11 countries experiencing the disease outbreak.  VOA’s Tatenda Gumbo spoke to Dr. Paul Ngwakum, UNICEF regional health adviser eastern and southern Africa, who says the U.N. agency and its partners are intervening rapidly.