At least 20 children have died of a cute outbreak of Diarrhoea in Hiiraan region of central Somalia, while many others have been hospitalized for the disease, authorities said.
The deputy commissioner of Bulo-Burde Liban Abdi said that scores of children mostly under 5-years-old are currently being treated for diarrhoeal infection in the hospital wards.
Abdi said there is shortage of medicines at the city’s health centre, meanwhile, and it has run out of medicines and only has oral rehydration salts (ORS) for treating the cases.
He linked the outbreak to hygiene and sanitation issues, such as rain water gathering in the dirty streets of the town where children play.
The UN has declared an outbreak of Diarrhoea in south and central Somalia.
Bulo-Burde, which lies some 200 km north of the capital Mogadishu, has been cut off by an Al-Shabab siege for almost a year. The blockade prevent people from using vehicles to leave or enter the town.
