HARARE , Zimbabwe ( CNN ) -- Zimbabwe 's opposition leader called the cholera outbreak in his country a `` man-made crisis , '' as new figures released Thursday showed the death toll had soared to more than 2,700 . Morgan Tsvangirai tours a cholera ward at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare Thursday . Some 2,755 have died and 48,623 people are suspected to have been infected with cholera since last year , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said . Opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai , speaking to reporters , pointed a finger at the Mugabe government . `` Cholera in Zimbabwe is a man-made crisis . The problem we have here is coupled with ( the ) fact of negligence on the part of government to provide the necessary facilities . It shows the collapse of the health delivery system , '' said Tsvangirai . The Movement for Democratic Change leader 's comments came after he toured some of the worst affected areas in the country 's capital , Harare . Zimbabwe 's cholera epidemic , which started in August , has been aggravated by erratic water supplies , shortages of water purification chemicals , broken water and sewer pipes and uncollected garbage . Cholera is an intestinal disease cause by bacteria in contaminated water . The epidemic was followed a month later by a strike by doctors and nurses demanding a review of their salaries . They are demanding that archaic hospital equipment be replaced and that medicines be available in hospitals . The health emergency comes at a time when Zimbabwe is mired in the worst economic crisis it has faced since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1980 . Last week , the United Nations ' Children 's Fund ( UNICEF ) gave $ 5 million to Zimbabwe 's ailing health sector to help end the industrial action by health personnel . As Tsvangirai was visiting the cholera affected areas , some residents could be seen getting water from the wells and rivers . Most suburbs in Harare have had no water for close to two weeks , forcing residents to depend on shallow pits and rivers for drinking water . The Zimbabwe National Water Authority was quoted by the state-owned media Saturday attributing the dryness to a water pump which had broken-down . The areas particularly affected include the townships of Glen Norah , Glen View and Budiriro . `` I am here with my kids for the last two days , '' said Ennie Musararei , a mother of three at Budiriro clinic . `` It ( cholera ) just started after we drank water from a well . We thought it was safe to drink since it was covered by a metal sheet . '' President Robert Mugabe 's government have now declared cholera a national emergency , so that international organizations such as UNICEF , Doctors Without Borders and Red Cross can gain access . But death toll has continued to increase daily . `` This week alone has witnessed a sudden increase of patients , '' said a nurse at Budiriro clinic . `` I think it is mainly because of the rains and dryness of the suburbs over the past week or so . '' Earlier this month , Zimbabwe 's health minister , David Parirenyatwa , said the death toll was likely to increase as the country is in its rainy season . The meteorological office in Zimbabwe has predicted floods in some parts of the country .
World Health Organization : 2,755 cholera deaths in Zimbabwe since last year . Tsvangirai : Govt . negligence resulted in failure to provide necessary facilities . Epidemic aggravated by erratic water supplies , broken water and sewer pipes . Mugabe 's government have now declared cholera a national emergency .