{"id":92683,"date":"2017-05-29T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=92683"},"modified":"2017-05-20T14:57:59","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T13:57:59","slug":"cholera-outbreak-in-war-torn-yemen-spreading-at-unprecedented-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2017\/05\/cholera-outbreak-in-war-torn-yemen-spreading-at-unprecedented-speed\/","title":{"rendered":"Cholera Outbreak in War-Torn Yemen Spreading at \u2018Unprecedented\u2019 Speed"},"content":{"rendered":"

As war-torn Yemen grapples with heavy rains, a collapsed healthcare system and crippled economy, a resurgent cholera outbreak has spread with \u201cunprecedented\u201d speed and taken medical professionals by surprise, the World Health Organization warned on 19 May 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

There has been an unprecedented surge in cholera cases in Yemen, with over 23,400 suspected cases and 242 deaths reported in 18 governorates. Photo: WHO Yemen<\/p><\/div>\n

22 May 2017 – <\/em>According to WHO, more than 240 people have died from cholera in just the last three weeks, out of a total of 23,400 infections. The agency estimates that 7.6 million people live in areas at high risk of cholera transmission.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to admit that when I see the data that I saw this morning, not officially released; are really taking us by surprise. The speed of the resurgence of the cholera epidemic is unprecedented\u201d said Dr. Nevio Zagaria, the WHO representative in Yemen speaking to UN News<\/em> in Geneva.<\/p>\n

The current disease outbreak has its roots in an original episode last October. It peaked in December 2016 and never fully went away, amid conflict between Government and Houthi-backed opposition forces that has left over half the country\u2019s medical facilities closed or damaged, and the economy in freefall.<\/p>\n

The lack of local health centres \u2013 and the fact that staff haven\u2019t been paid in seven months \u2013 have left Yemenis with no option but to seek help from hospitals, which WHO says are now \u201coverwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional problems include massive damage to the country\u2019s sewage and electricity infrastructure, which have left the water supply contaminated. A WHO map showing cholera hotspots in Yemen indicates the highest number of suspected cases \u2013 more than 6,000 \u2013 in the capital city, Sana\u2019a.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Responding to the cholera outbreak in Yemen, WHO has so far distributed 32 tonnes of Intravenous fluids, over 300 cholera beds and 27 cholera kits. Photo: WHO Yemen<\/p><\/div>\n

Few communities have been left untouched by the disease, which is characterized by severe diarrhoea that can kill within hours, if not treated promptly.<\/p>\n

In some places the fatality rate is as high as four to five per cent, and WHO is extremely concerned that the disease is being passed from one person to another.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if the transmission goes on at this speed, we need to revise the figure and we need to expect something that can go up over 200, 250,000 cases over the next six months, in addition to the 50,000 cases that already occur [\u2026] so you can understand by yourself with this number the price we pay in terms of life is extremely high,\u201d explained Dr. Zagaria, adding: \u201cWe have to do more.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the crisis, WHO has begun the task of setting up 350 cholera treatment centres and 2,000 oral rehydration points. It is also focusing on tracing infection hotspots, to reduce the risk of disease transmission.<\/p>\n

The agency has stressed that the scale of the threat is \u201ctoo big\u201d for the Yemeni authorities to do on their own, and that to date only around 20 per cent of its $22 million cholera appeal has been met.<\/p>\n

_____________________________________________<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

SOURCE: UN<\/a><\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Read also:<\/em><\/p>\n

Yemen, World\u2019s Largest Humanitarian\u00a0Crisis <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

48 Countries Offer Just Half of Funds Needed to Rescue Two-Thirds of\u00a0Yemenis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Millions in Yemen on Brink of Famine, Situation \u2018Close to a Breaking Point\u2019\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Yemen War Is\u00a0Genocide\u2019 <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Yemen At War: Is the World Catching on to Saudi Arabia\u2019s\u00a0Crimes?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Yemen: 2.1 Billion Dollars Needed to Save Lives of 12 Million People in\u00a02017 <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Building Resilient Rural Livelihoods,\u00a0Key to Helping\u00a0Yemen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Yemen on Brink of Famine\u2019 \u2013\u00a0UN <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Arms Trade Treaty Falling Down in\u00a0Yemen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Millions of Displaced Yemenis Face \u2018Humanitarian Catastrophe\u2019 \u2013\u00a0UNHCR <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Malnutrition Among Children in Yemen at \u2018All-Time\u00a0High\u2019 <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018An Entire Generation Could Be Crippled by Hunger\u2019 in\u00a0Yemen <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Baher Kamal, Egyptian-born, Spanish national secular journalist. He is founder and publisher of\u00a0<\/em>Human Wrongs Watch<\/a>. Kamal is a pro-peace, non-violence, human rights, harmonious coexistence defender among human beings and with Nature, with more than 43 years of professional experience. With these issues in sight, he covered practically all professional posts, from correspondent to chief editor of dailies and international news agencies.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 human-wrongs-watch.net<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As war-torn Yemen grapples with heavy rains, a collapsed healthcare system and crippled economy, a resurgent cholera outbreak has spread with \u201cunprecedented\u201d speed and taken medical professionals by surprise, the World Health Organization warned on 19 May 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle-east-north-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}