Death toll by cholera outbreak in Yemen surges to 2110

Sana’a, September 27: The death toll in Yemen surged to 2110 while suspected cholera cases have reached to 7,25,488 due to the massive outbreak of cholera in the time period of less than 5 months. At least 4,00,000 children who are under the age of five are severely suffering from malnourishment just because of a cholera outbreak and civil war.

 

Though international community including World Bank, United Nations, World Health Organization and Saudi Arabia are providing funds, humanitarian aides to support Yemen but is not enough. Notably, 96% percent of Yemen is affected by cholera. The fatality case rates have gone by 0.33%. Children and the elderly are the affected at the worst as more than 42% of the suspected cases since the outbreak and a quarter of the deaths are children, while old people represent 32% of fatalities.

Yemen’s four most affected governorates are Amanat Al Asimah, Al Hudaydah, Amran and Hajjah with 59% of the cases reported since 27 April 2017. Amran and Al Mahwit governorates had the highest attack rates and Raymah governorate the highest case fatality ratio. However, at least 3000 people per day are infected and affected due to cholera.

Interestingly, with over 20 million people dependent on aid, Yemen is the world's single largest humanitarian crisis, now made even worse with the outbreak of cholera. Less than half the country’s hospitals are running and less than a third of the needed medicines are available due to which conditions are getting worst.

BACKGROUND

In 2011, some 719,377 suspected cases of cholera were recorded in Haiti, and 8,767 people died, according to national figures cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An epidemic late last year faded but outbreaks are frequent and made worse by the degrading of health and sanitation systems by more than two years of civil war that has also killed at least 10,000 people and displaced millions. Earlier, in 2011, some 719,377 suspected cases of cholera were recorded in Haiti, and 8,767 people died, according to national figures cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.