Overview
- Since January, authorities have recorded 64,427 cases and 1,888 deaths, with cholera now reported in 17 of the country’s 26 provinces.
- Children account for 14,818 infections and 340 deaths, and a Kinshasa orphanage lost 16 of 62 children within days after the disease spread there.
- UNICEF says only 43% of people have at least basic water services and just 15% use basic sanitation, conditions that fuel transmission.
- Access constraints linked to conflict, especially in the east, are limiting health services and hindering rapid response operations.
- UNICEF is seeking about $6 million for 2026 to sustain rapid-response work, while the government’s $192 million elimination plan remains underfunded.