Yemen Faces the Most Severe Cholera Crisis in the World: WHO
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Aden, Dec 24 (NationPress) The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that Yemen faces the most severe cholera crisis globally.
In a report released on Monday, the WHO stated that as of December 1, Yemen has documented 249,900 suspected cases of cholera and 861 related fatalities in 2024 alone, accounting for 35 percent of the worldwide cholera burden and 18 percent of the total reported deaths from the disease.
The most recent statistics show a notable year-on-year increase, with cases and deaths in November 2024 rising by 37 percent and 27 percent, respectively, compared to the same month in 2023, according to the WHO.
WHO representative and head of mission in Yemen, Arturo Pesigan, stated, "The outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and acute watery diarrhea places an additional strain on an already burdened health system contending with multiple disease outbreaks."
Pesigan highlighted that the absence of safe drinking water, insufficient sanitation, and limited access to timely medical care are worsening the crisis.
According to the WHO, persistent cholera transmission has afflicted Yemen for several years, with the nation experiencing the largest documented cholera outbreak in recent history from 2017 to 2020, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Despite ongoing interventions, the declining humanitarian conditions, combined with restricted access to healthcare services, continue to drive the resurgence of the disease in this war-torn Arab nation that has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014.
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by certain strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, leading to severe diarrhea and potentially fatal outcomes if untreated.
