Cholera kills 29 in southern Somalia

Cholera kills 29 in southern Somalia

MOGADISHU (AFP): A cholera epidemic has killed 29 people in two southern Somali towns during the past two days, a local doctor said on Thursday.

Omar Nur Ali said the victims were residents of the towns of Janale and Golweyna in the southern Lower Shabelle region.

The towns are situated on the banks of the Shabelle River and Ali attributed the cholera outbreak to the use of contaminated water from the river.

"People need help to chlorinate water storage points near the river," said Ali.

In January, a health official in Mogadishu said at least 80 people had died of cholera in the city during that month.