A cholera epidemic is spreading there at an alarming rate. The first case was confirmed just a few days ago, but the situation is already out of control. To date, *52 cases are confirmed and 9 people have already died*, including women, children, and infants. Behind these figures lie shattered families, orphaned children, and communities plunged into fear.

Each passing day dramatically increases the risk of mass deaths. Without medication, cholera can kill within hours through acute dehydration.  Patients are dying before the helpless eyes of their loved ones due to a lack of serums, antibiotics, and oral rehydration salts. If no urgent action is taken today or tomorrow, the number of cases could double or triple in a matter of days, transforming this epidemic into a major humanitarian catastrophe.

The village of Kabumbu, in the Kitopo health zone, is the epicenter of the crisis. More than 45 cases and 5 deaths have been recorded there in just one week. The health centers in Miki and the Kitopo hospital, already overwhelmed, are completely out of medication. Patients are moving from one village to another in search of nonexistent care, thus facilitating a rapid and uncontrolled spread of the disease. This situation foreshadows a cascade of deaths if nothing is done immediately.

The area is completely isolated, with no road access. Communities live in extremely precarious conditions, without drinking water, adequate latrines, or preventative supplies.  The indigenous populations of the Itombwe Forest, already weakened by poverty and isolation, are now abandoned in the face of a life-threatening emergency. Cholera threatens to decimate entire villages, wiping out families and generations in a matter of days.

Yet, a solution is still possible. The Miki airfield is operational and provides immediate access. If essential medicines are made available and a minimum of financial resources are mobilized for transport, they can reach the area in less than 48 hours. A rapid response would stop the spread, save lives, and avert an irreversible scenario. The local population is already mobilized and ready to act. Community contributions, though very modest (2,000 to 10,000 Congolese francs), are being organized in a desperate effort to purchase some medicines in Uvira.  Men and women are prepared to walk long distances, day and night, to deliver medicine from Kipupu, Magunda, and Mikenge to health centers in Miki, Lubumba, and Kitopo. Residents of these villages living in Uvira have identified transporters willing to help if minimal financial support is available. The will is there, but the resources are desperately lacking. Without immediate intervention, the next 48 to 72 hours will be crucial. Inaction today means deaths tomorrow. Swift action, on the other hand, can still change the course of this crisis, prevent massive loss of life, and restore hope to communities on the brink of despair.

 This urgent health alert is issued by the Head Nurse of Miki, Mr. Mutiki Cadet, relayed by the Young Methodists Organization, one of the few NGOs operating in the area despite difficult conditions, and broadcast by its community radio station, Itombwe Community Radio, the main tool for community information and education in the region.