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WHO: Nearly 1m cases of cholera in Yemen

December 15, 2017 at 11:41 am

Children suffering from cholera can be seen receiving medical treatment war as the in Yemen continues [Ian Bremmer/Facebook]

There are currently one million people infected with cholera in wartorn Yemen, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Wednesday

Some 2,225 people have died on the disease since 27 April, it added.

The UN organisation issued a report stating that as of Monday, there were 983,486 cases of Cholera in Yemen.

The organisation also noted that during the same period, it recorded 2,225 deaths caused by the disease, spread across 21 of the country’s 22 provinces.

The report noted that the island of Socotra is the only area that has not witnessed a cholera outbreak. The strategic Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, which is under Houthi contro, has the highest number of cases with over 143,000.

The Hajjah province has had the highest number of cholera deaths with 417.

UNICEF: 32% of cholera deaths in Yemen are children

Cholera is a disease that causes acute diarrhoea that could lead to the death of those affected within hours if not treated. Malnourished children aged five and under are most prone to the disease.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sana’a.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s embattled government.

According to UN officials, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the war, while more than 11 per cent of the country’s population has been displaced.