Cholera has killed 389 people in Zimbabwe to date and the disease is also spreading into neighbouring Botswana and South Africa, the United Nations warned Friday.

A total of 9463 cases have been recorded in the impoverished southern African country, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

OCHA warned of an "alarming regional dimension" and said the health ministries of South Africa and Zimbabwe were working on coordination efforts together with the World Health Organisation.

"The rapid deterioration of the health service delivery system in Zimbabwe, the lack of adequate water supply, and lack of capacity to dispose of solid waste and repair sewage blockages in most areas will continue to contribute to the escalation and spread of the outbreak," said OCHA spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs.

UN humanitarian agencies are working on the ground to ensure the delivery of medical supplies, clean drinking water and water purification kits.

Byrs said that basic hygiene kits comprising a bucket or jerry can, soap and water treatment tablets have been distributed to at least 4000 households in the capital Harare.

UNICEF spokesperson Veronique Taveau said that unlike previous outbreaks that mainly hit rural areas, the current epidemic is affecting densely-populated urban centres, "which leads to its rapid expansion and makes it harder to fight against the disease."

Zimbabwe belatedly changed its tune Thursday and asked for international help to fight the outbreak after long insisting that the situation was under control.

"With the coming of the rainy season, the situation could get worse," said deputy health minister Edwin Muguti.

"Our problems are quite simple. We need to be assisted."

The explosion of cholera is the latest sign of the collapse of the country which was regarded as a post-colonial success story in the first two decades after independence from Britain in 1980 but is now burdened by the world's highest rate of inflation - last put at 231 million percent.

The nation's dilapidated infrastructure has left sewage flowing openly in the streets while drinking water goes untreated.

Sapa