The World Health Organization
(WHO) has warned against a significant cholera outbreak in Yemen as
the Saudi aggression against its impoverished neighbor enters its
twentieth month.
The UN agency made the
announcement on Monday, saying the outbreak was linked to two reports
over a span of 12 days that showed a double increase from 2,070
suspected cases on November 1, to 4,119 cases by November 13 in 11
provinces across the Arab country.
"The numbers of cholera
cases in Yemen continue to increase, sparking concerns of a
significant outbreak," the WHO warned in its report.
More than half of all health
facilities in Yemen are closed or partially functioning, and there
are critical shortages in medical doctors in more than 40 percent of
all districts, according to the health organization. Reports indicate
that eight people had died in the outbreak and as many as 56 others
had lost their lives due to acute diarrhea.
The WHO said the largest cholera
caseload was in the southwestern Yemeni provinces of Ta'izz and Aden,
adding that 29 "hot" districts and nine other provinces had
been affected with the disease, constituting half of the country’s
population.
Cholera is transmitted through
contaminated drinking water and could prove fatal in up to 15 percent
of untreated cases.
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