The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is suffering its worst cholera outbreak since the start of the millennium, the UN's children's agency UNICEF said on Monday.

Here are the key data points from UNICEF's report:

• 64,427 cases and 1,888 deaths reported since January
• Of those, 14,818 cases and 340 deaths were among children
• Around 23.4% of the cases involved children
• Cholera reported in 17 of Congo's 26 provinces

Cholera 'a wholly preventable disease'

In its statement, UNICEF cited one case in which 16 of the 62 children in an orphanage in the capital, Kinshasa, died within days of the disease breaking out there.  

"Congolese children should not be so gravely affected by what is a wholly preventable disease," UNICEF spokesperson John Agbor said.

In its statement, UNICEF appealed for about $6 million (€5.2 million) in 2026 to be able to keep up its rapid response operations.

The Congolese government also put forward a plan to eliminate the disease with a budget of $192 million, but it remains underfunded.

"Without additional funds and coordinated action, many more lives could be lost," Agbor said.

Water supply and sanitation in dire condition in Congo

Cholera, a severe and potentially fatal diarrhoeal disease, can spread quickly when, as is the case in much of the DRC, water supply and sanitation services are inadequate.

The statement said that only 43% of people in Congo have access to at least basic water services — the lowest rate in Africa — and just 15% use basic sanitation.

This situation has been exacerbated by conflict, with particularly the mineral-rich east of the country affected.

Last month, African health authorities also said cholera was surging in Angola, Burundi and elsewhere on the continent, with cases rising by 30% overall in comparison with last year.

Edited by: Alex Berry