Yemen's cholera death toll at 1146: WHO

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 1,146 over the past two months, the UN's health agency says.

Cholera-infected Yemeni women receive treatment

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 1,146, the UN's health agency says. (AAP)

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 1,146 over the past two months, according to the World Health Organisation.

The UN health agency said the outbreak has affected 20 of Yemen's 22 provinces since it was first reported at the end of April.

Cholera, which is contracted through contaminated water and causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, is easily treatable and preventable.

Yet, the outbreak comes at a time when more than half of Yemen's healthcare facilities are no longer functional because of the war between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned rebels.

The disease can kill within hours if left untreated. In the last week alone, at least 187 deaths were reported from cholera, in addition to almost 38,000 suspected cases.

There are 166,976 suspected cases since April 27, WHO said on Twitter.

The UN estimates that some 7.6 million people live in Yemen's cholera-threatened areas.

Yemenis have been suffering from a significant lack of access to food, clean water, as well as medication that have resulted in the spread of cholera.


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Published 20 June 2017 9:28pm
Source: AAP


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