KATHMANDU: The British Red Cross has released £15,000 from its disaster fund to help control the cholera outbreak in Nepal. The disease has claimed over 268 lives in the last three months, while 50,000 people are currently affected by it.

Issuing a press statement in the capital yesterday, the British Red Cross said the sum would be utilised through the Nepal Red Cross Society to create awareness among people for a more hygienic life.

“Until 1997 the country had been free of the disease for a decade and cholera outbreaks in Nepal were relatively rare. To see it re-emerging on this scale is extremely worrying,” said Pete Garratt, relief operations manager for the British Red Cross.

“Basic hygiene is the biggest issue along with clean drinking water facilities and sanitation. The most important factor in tackling the disease is community education and awareness,” he added.

He said the fund would be utilised to create awareness among people on better hygiene practices as it would keep people safe from such hazardous disease for the rest of their lives.

He added that the awareness campaign would include community education, distributing leaflets, posters, community information boards and street theatres.

Nepal Red Cross will also be distributing water purification kits and almost 100,000 sachets of life-saving oral rehydration salts to those affected.