6 cholera cases reported in DRC after volcano eruption

Kinshasa, May 31 : At least six cases of cholera were reported among the displaced people in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who were forced to evacuate after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano on May 22.
The cases were reported on Sunday in the city of Sake, about 26 km north of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to authorities, the six affected people were currently being treated on site by a team of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders.
With the risk of a fresh eruption, the authorities redirected majority of the inhabitants of Goma to Sake, which is said to have taken in more than 180,000 displaced people, according to the UN.
Lack of water, toilets and other sanitary facilities are believed to have led to the cholera outbreak.
According to MSF, the city of Sake is an endemic area of the cholera epidemic and with the displacement of the population, there is a great risk of the outbreak of the disease on the ground if humanitarian aid and other care do not arrive quickly.
The eruption killed at least 32 people, while about 2,000 homes have been destroyed. (IANS)