HIGHLIGHTS

• Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera is spreading in Somalia with over 4,380 cases and 54 associated deaths recorded in 32 districts from 1 January to 18 March 2024. Sixty two per cent of the deaths were among children aged under 5.

• The outbreak is driven by high levels of malnutrition among children, insufficient access to clean water, open defecation practices, latrines with poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation among communities, among other factors.

• Safe water and proper sanitation can prevent AWD/cholera, but 28 per cent of Somali families are estimated to lack a functional sanitation facility while 34 per cent practice open defecation and 80 per cent lack a handwashing facility.