Cholera Cases in Yemen May Reach 130,000 in Two Weeks, UNICEF Warns | Common Dreams
With about 70,000 cholera cases reported with nearly 600 fatalities in Yemen, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today warned that an already dire situation for children is turning into a disaster.
"Cholera doesn't need a permit to cross a checkpoint or a border, nor
does it differentiate between areas of political control," said UNICEF Regional Director, Geert Cappelaere, following his visit to the war-torn country.
"Cholera is spreading incredibly fast in Yemen […] The number of
suspected cases is expected to reach 130,000 within the next two weeks,"
he warned.
He said he witnessed harrowing scenes of children who were barely
alive—tiny babies weighing less than two kilos—fighting for their lives
at one of the few functioning hospitals he visited.
"But they are the lucky ones. Countless children around Yemen die
every day in silence from causes that can easily be prevented or treated
like cholera, diarrhoea or malnutrition," he said.
A child with severe diarrhoea or cholera receives treatment at the
Sab'een Hospital in Sana'a, Yemen,on 12 May 2017. (Photo:
UNICEF/UN065873/Alzekri)
