UNICEF Launches ‘Urgent’ $20 Million Appeal to Fight Escalating Cholera Crisis in Nigeria, West Africa

UNICEF has launched an urgent $20 million appeal to combat the worsening cholera outbreak in Nigeria and across West and Central Africa.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched an urgent $20 million appeal to combat the growing cholera outbreak in Nigeria and other countries across West and Central Africa.

The agency warned that worsening rainfall, flooding, and mass displacement are accelerating the disease’s spread and putting millions, particularly children, at risk.

UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, said Nigeria has become the second most affected country in the region, with 3,109 suspected cases and 86 deaths recorded across 34 states as of June.

He noted that repeated outbreaks have made cholera endemic in the country and that children are particularly vulnerable due to poor hygiene, lack of sanitation, and limited access to clean water.

The organization stressed that the $20 million funding is critical to scaling up health services, water, sanitation, hygiene interventions, and community engagement to prevent a wider public health disaster. Fagninou explained that cholera, an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by contaminated food or water, can be fatal within hours if untreated.

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While the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains the hardest-hit country with over 38,000 cases and 951 deaths in July alone, several countries including Chad, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and the Republic of Congo are also battling outbreaks, with others under close surveillance.

UNICEF has been delivering lifesaving health, water, and sanitation supplies, supporting vaccination efforts, and working with authorities to reach remote communities. The agency emphasized that urgent, coordinated action is needed to contain the epidemic and protect vulnerable children across the region.