Cholera cases in Zimbabwe may rise drastically

The UN Children's Fund in Zimbabwe says it is preparing to deal with a possible 60 000 cholera cases in coming weeks, four times current official estimates.

The Unicef chief in Harare, Roeland Monasch, said such a jump could bring the number of deaths to around 3000.

Official figures say nearly 600 have already died from the disease but aid agencies fear the toll could be higher.

But Manasch says the actual number of people who have already died is probably far higher than official figures as many clinics and hospitals are closed and people in rural areas frequently just bury their dead.