A resurgence of the cholera outbreak has been confirmed in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, affecting more than 200 people and causing at least three deaths, the reliefweb reported on Friday.
The report said west Gondar and Bahir Dar, the regional capital, have been particularly affected by the resurgence of the cholera outbreak with 122 cases and one death in Quara district, three cases and one death in Genda Wuha district. In Central Gondar, three cases and one death have been reported, while 33 cases were reported in Bahir Dar.
According to the report, the contamination source is the Bermel Georgis holy water, located in Quara district, which draws pilgrims from across the region and beyond, entailing a significant risk of further spreading the disease.
Humanitarian partners face severe security and access constraints in the Amhara region that is heavily affected by an armed conflict between the Federal forces and regional militia.
The Ethiopia Rapid Response Mechanism (ET-RRM) co-funded by DG ECHO is being activated to respond to the outbreak at community level, while International Medical Corps, also with DG ECHO funding, will complement the response at institutional level, both in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the report said.
The resurgence comes months after Ethiopia witnessed a nationwide decline in cholera cases following its longest outbreak, which began in August 2022.
MG/as/APA