UN: 29 Die in South Sudan Cholera Outbreak as Cases Rise

In this photo taken Saturday, June 27, 2015, newly-arrived displaced children, whose village had been burned, stay at the UN base in Bentiu, South Sudan. South Sudan’s army has burned people alive, raped and shot girls, and forced tens of thousands from their homes, according to interviews with survivors by The Associated Press and corroborated by human rights groups. AP Photo/Jason Patinkin

KAMPALA, Uganda—At least 29 people have died in South Sudan’s latest cholera outbreak, the U.N. children’s agency said Friday.

Cholera had sickened 484 people by the end of June and the number of cases continues to rise in the nation’s capital of Juba, according to UNICEF.

Children under 5 comprise 13 percent of the cases, UNICEF said, adding that funding is needed as the agency has been using its flexible internal resources to meet critical needs.

In addition to Juba, cholera cases have also been reported in Bor, Jonglei state, as well as Torit in the state of Eastern Equatoria.

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Last year a cholera outbreak in South Sudan infected more than 6,000 people and killed 167, according to World Health Organization figures.

Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death.

South Sudan’s cholera outbreak intensifies the humanitarian needs of a poor country facing a violent conflict that has displaced more than 2 million people as government troops try to put down a rebellion.

Amid the civil war, many civilians — especially children — are at risk.

More than 63,000 children have been admitted by UNICEF for treatment of “severe acute malnutrition” so far in 2015.