Cholera deaths rise to 1205, cases exceed 179,000: Yemeni Ministry of Health

YemenExtra

M.A.

“The death toll from the cholera epidemic has risen to a thousand and 205 deaths,” Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Health and Population Dr. Nasser Al-Arjali said on Thursday.

The total number of suspected cases of cholera reached 179,458 cases, of which 531 confirmed cases, the Yemeni agency SABA quoted him as saying.

He added that the prevalence of the epidemic is increasing in the capital Sana’a and the provinces, stressing the need for concerted domestic and international efforts to combat cholera and prevent its spread.

He pointed out that the risk of cholera will not only remain in Yemen, but will extend to neighboring countries and the region as a whole.

The Undersecretary of the therapeutic medicine sector pointed out that the repercussions resulting from the US-backed Saudi war and siege contributed to the aggravation and escalation of the epidemic and the creation of climates suitable for the spread of diseases and pestilences.

He stressed the need for international humanitarian institutions, especially the United Nations, to take serious their moral and humanitarian responsibilities in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen due to the ongoing war and blockade, as well as the prohibition of the entry of medicines and medical solutions. He also accuses the Saudi-led coalition of committing genocide against the Yemeni people while the international community is yet to be stirred.

Al-Arjali called on the United Nations, its institutions and the Security Council to lift the siege on Sana’a International Airport, which has become an urgent necessity in order to facilitate access to therapeutic assistance, contribute to efforts to treat patients and to transfer cases requiring treatment outside Yemen and instantly.