Those poor babies.
Yemen cholera outbreak now the world’s largest on record,
approaching 1 million
September 28, 2017
Yemen’s 5-month old cholera crisis is now the world’s largest
outbreak since records began, Oxfam International said today as the
number of suspected cases rose to over 755 000. From August 25
until September 27, there has been an average of 5 750 daily cases,
so at this rate, the number of suspected cholera cases will reach one
million in less than eight weeks.
The Yemen outbreak has overtaken the 754 373 suspected cases
recorded in Haiti in the six years between 2010 and 2015. Over 2
100 people have already died from cholera, and while the spread of
cholera has slowed slightly, it is still spreading fast and at current
rates of increase, the number of suspected cases would reach a
million by November.
While cholera isn’t new to Yemen, the scale of this outbreak is
unprecedented and is being driven by a two-and-a-half year conflict,
a borderline famine, and entrenched poverty. Over half of all health
facilities are destroyed or only partially working, seven million people
are a step away from famine and over 20 million need some level of
humanitarian aid.
"Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and it is getting even
worse. More than two years of war have created ideal conditions for
the disease to spread. The war has pushed the country to the edge
of famine, forced millions from their homes, virtually destroyed the
already weak health services and hampered efforts to respond to the
cholera outbreak, Oxfam's Humanitarian Director, Nigel Timmins
said.
"Cholera is taking a horrific toll on people in Yemen. We cannot
continue to allow children to die in pain of a disease that is easily
treatable," Timmins added.
"Yemen’s tragedy is a man-made catastrophe for which all sides bear
responsibility. Yet it is being fuelled by deliberate political decisions in
London, Washington and other world capitals. Billions of dollars
worth of arms are being sold with little if any concern for the
destruction of lives their use is causing. Our common humanity tells
us this has to stop and efforts to foster peace have to start."
Since March 2015, the war has killed over 5 100 civilians and forced
about 3 million people from their homes, the report said. When the
second wave of cholera outbreak started on April 27, the war had
laid the basis for it to spread.
20% of Yemen’s districts show a clear convergence of high levels of
hunger and cholera. The governorate of Hajjah for example, which
hosts one-fifth of Yemen’s internally displaced people because of
war, is both on the brink of famine and has the second highest
number of suspected cholera cases among the governorates.
Many displaced families have told Oxfam that they have been forced
to choose between getting treatment for cholera or feeding their
families. With nothing left to sell, weakened by hunger and the lack of
clean water, they are much more vulnerable to contract cholera and
are struggling to get treatment. Only 45% of health facilities are fully
functional because of the war and the number of people unable to
access to healthcare has increased by 76% since the escalation of
the conflict according to the UN, while the costs of treatment or
transportation to the working facilities are now often too high for
people.
Video courtesy Wochit News _ Video @ link above.
The humanitarian response has also directly been affected by the
war. Obtaining visas for cholera specialists can sometimes take up to
two months. In the country, many organizations report restrictions on
their staff preventing them to reach areas in need.
As part of its cholera response, Oxfam has already provided water
and sanitation assistance to more than 430 000 people in Taiz, Aden,
Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, and Amran governorates to prevent and
contain the disease.
Oxfam is calling on all parties to the conflict, and those backing it, to
commit to an immediate ceasefire in order to end the bloodshed.
Yemeni authorities and the international community must also ensure
in the meantime that humanitarian assistance is facilitated through
the sufficient provision of visas, supplies and access as required.
Source: Oxfam International
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