The DRC has emerged as the epicenter of the crisis, with over 38,000 infections and 951 deaths recorded in July alone. Children under five account for 25.6% of these cases. Provinces such as South Kivu, North Kivu, and Tanganyika have reported the highest burdens, exacerbated by poor sanitation and inadequate access to clean water.

In the capital Kinshasa, torrential rains and prolonged flooding have overwhelmed hospitals and pushed the case fatality rate to 8%. UNICEF warned that unless rapid interventions are made, this could become the DRC’s worst cholera outbreak since 2017.

Chad and Nigeria are also seeing significant outbreaks. Chad reported 55 suspected cases, including four deaths, at the Dougui refugee site near the Sudanese border—where overcrowding and unsafe water supplies have left children especially vulnerable. Nigeria, the second-most affected country, had confirmed 3,109 cases and 86 deaths across 34 states as of June.

Other nations placed on alert due to their vulnerability include Niger, Liberia, Benin, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. With health systems already under pressure, the possibility of a regional epidemic remains high unless cross-border cooperation and aid scale-up rapidly.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, stressed the urgency of the situation: “Children are paying the highest price. We must act now to prevent further loss of life.”

To prevent further escalation, UNICEF and public health authorities are calling for immediate provision of clean water, sanitation infrastructure, and medical resources across the affected regions. With the rainy season ongoing, the window for containing the crisis is rapidly closing.

The spread of cholera—particularly in areas with large displaced populations and damaged water infrastructure—underscores the critical need for sustained humanitarian intervention to protect the most vulnerable, especially children.