The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), is supporting the authorities in the department of Divo (177 km, west of Abidjan) by providing potable water for people in the area as part of the fight against a cholera epidemic, which has been declared by the National Public Health Institute - Institut National d'Hygiène Publique (INHP) and which, according to the health authorities in Divo, has caused five deaths.



UNOCI's Niger battalion (NIGBATT), based in Gagnoa, situated at 85 km from Divo, has started supplying local people with 18,000 litres of potable water every two days between the regional capital of Gôh and the town of Divo.



During an emergency meeting on 5 January 2014 at the local government offices in Divo, local authorities had outlined the measures taken to contain the cholera outbreak which started on 22 December 2014 in Tablédjikou village, 12 km south of Divo on the road to Guitry.



According to the secretary-general of Divo prefecture, people in the affected areas had continued to use stagnant water from local wells which led the administrative authorities to close all of them. Other measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease, include the installation of free water fountains and the building of public toilets.



The cholera cases were first reported in four villages, Tablédjikou, Gly, Guiléhiri and Dioulabougou in the department with a total population of some 23,000 residents.



The epidemie has so far been contained and no new cases have been reported since 22 December 2014.