The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is battling its worst cholera outbreak in 25 years which has killed almost 2 000 people since January, the United Nations children's agency said on Monday.

In one case, a quarter of the children in a Kinshasa orphanage - 16 out of 62 - died days after the disease swept through, UNICEF added.

"Congolese children should not be so gravely affected by what is a wholly preventable disease,” UNICEF spokesperson John Agbor said.

Cholera is a severe and potentially fatal diarrhoeal disease that spreads quickly when sewage and drinking water are not adequately treated. 

African health authorities last month raised the alarm over a surge in the disease in Angola, Burundi and other parts of the continent, with an overall 30% increase on cases recorded last year.

In Congo, conflict and a lack of access to clean water were exacerbating the crisis, and more funding was needed for sanitation, hygiene and health services, UNICEF said.

Since January, authorities have recorded 64 427 cases and 1 888 deaths, including 14 818 infections and 340 deaths among children, UNICEF said. Seventeen of the country's 26 provinces are currently impacted, the agency added.

Only 43% of people in Congo have access to at least basic water services, the lowest rate in Africa, and just 15% use basic sanitation, according to the statement.

The government has a cholera elimination plan with a proposed budget of $192-million, but that remains severely underfunded, UNICEF said.

UNICEF is appealing for about $6-million in 2026 to sustain its rapid response work. "Without additional funds and coordinated action, many more lives could be lost," Agbor said.