United Nations Radio

The UN has allocated nearly eight million dollars to help Zimbabwe deal with its cholera outbreak.

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The number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe since August last year has surpassed the World Health Organization's worst-case scenario of 60,000 infected. The disease has claimed the lives of more than 3,100 people.

The money, allocated by the UN humanitarian chief, will come from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund. In addition to that, John Holmes is urging donor countries to urgently step up their donations. UN agencies and their humanitarian partners have requested 560 million dollars to support those in need in Zimbabwe in 2009. Only 12 percent of the appeal is funded so far.

The World Health Organization will use two million of the allocated funds to deploy 12 more staff to each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, and to bolster disease monitoring. UNICEF will purchase essential medicines and water and sanitation supplies worth two million dollars.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

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