The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued an urgent appeal for $20 million in emergency funding to be raised within the next 90 days to combat a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak affecting Nigeria and several countries across West and Central Africa. This plea comes amid a convergence of heavy rainfall, widespread flooding, and mass displacement—conditions that are fueling the surge in infections and posing a dire threat to the lives of millions, particularly children under five.

Nigeria Now Second Worst-Hit Country in Region

According to UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, the cholera outbreak in Nigeria has reached a critical stage. With the disease now becoming endemic, the country continues to experience recurrent and increasingly deadly outbreaks year after year.

“As of the end of June, Nigeria had recorded 3,109 suspected cholera cases and 86 related deaths across 34 states,” Fagninou revealed. “This alarming statistic places Nigeria as the second most impacted country in West and Central Africa.”

The situation in Nigeria is a growing concern for health authorities and humanitarian organizations, particularly as the peak of the rainy season brings an increased likelihood of contaminated water sources, further escalating the risk of disease transmission.

Children Face Heightened Risk as Rainfall Intensifies

UNICEF has identified children as the most vulnerable population in this unfolding crisis. Fagninou stressed that over 80,000 children across the region are now considered at high risk of contracting cholera due to the deteriorating public health conditions.

The combination of stagnant floodwaters, compromised sanitation facilities, and displacement has created an ideal environment for the cholera bacteria to thrive. Cholera is primarily transmitted through contaminated water or food and leads to acute diarrhoeal illness. Without prompt treatment—typically oral rehydration therapy or antibiotics—cholera can become fatal within hours, especially in young children with already weakened immune systems.

“Young children are especially susceptible due to poor hygiene, limited access to clean water, and higher risk of severe dehydration,” Fagninou added.

Democratic Republic of Congo Records Alarming Death Toll

The crisis is even more severe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which UNICEF says is currently the hardest-hit country in the region. In July alone, the DRC reported more than 38,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 951 deaths.

Alarmingly, children under five now account for nearly 26 percent of all cholera cases in the DRC. UNICEF warns that without intensified containment measures, the country could experience its most severe cholera outbreak since 2017.

Other countries experiencing significant outbreaks include Chad, the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. Meanwhile, nations like Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon remain under close epidemiological surveillance due to their heightened risk of future outbreaks.

UNICEF Scales Up Emergency Response Across the Region

To tackle this growing public health emergency, UNICEF is actively delivering life-saving support across the affected regions. The agency has already deployed critical health, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies, along with treatment centers in hard-hit areas.

These efforts include:

• Distributing oral rehydration salts, antibiotics, and IV fluids

• Installing emergency water and sanitation infrastructure

• Providing cholera vaccines in high-risk zones

• Educating communities about hygiene practices and early treatment

• Supporting national and local governments in preparedness and response

Fagninou emphasized that UNICEF is also working closely with health ministries and humanitarian partners to scale up community engagement campaigns, which are crucial for early detection, prevention, and control of cholera outbreaks. These efforts are especially focused on reaching remote and underserved communities, where access to health services is limited and the risk of disease spread is higher.

“Timely community outreach and trusted communication are key to curbing this crisis. Without urgent and scaled-up intervention, children in the region could face a catastrophic public health disaster,” he warned.

Call for Global Support: $20 Million Needed Urgently

UNICEF stressed that the requested $20 million will be used to expand immediate response activities over the next three months. This funding will enable the agency to ramp up health services, water and sanitation projects, hygiene promotion, and community mobilization in the most affected regions.

According to Fagninou, the funds will be channeled into:

• Increasing access to clean water and sanitation

• Expanding the reach of cholera vaccination campaigns

• Equipping treatment centers with supplies and trained staff

• Strengthening disease surveillance and data reporting

• Educating families on proper hygiene and safe food practices

The appeal highlights the urgent need for international solidarity to prevent a further spike in cholera-related deaths and long-term health consequences for millions of vulnerable children and families.

Long-Term Solutions Needed to Address Root Causes

While immediate funding is essential to contain the current outbreak, experts agree that long-term investment in water infrastructure, sanitation, and health systems is necessary to prevent future crises. Repeated outbreaks in Nigeria and neighboring countries underscore the chronic vulnerabilities faced by these communities—ranging from inadequate waste disposal systems to fragile health services and insufficient disease monitoring.

UNICEF and its partners are calling on governments, donors, and the international community to support not only emergency response efforts but also long-term strategies aimed at building resilient health and WASH systems across West and Central Africa.

Final Note

As cholera continues to spread rapidly across Nigeria and the wider region, UNICEF’s $20 million emergency appeal serves as a critical lifeline for millions of children and families at risk. With swift and decisive action, there is still time to prevent the outbreak from becoming a full-scale public health catastrophe.

Without immediate global support, however, the most vulnerable populations—especially children under five—could face the deadly consequences of delayed action.