Fresh outbreak of deadly cholera in Yemen: Unicef predicts

YemenExtra

Y.A

Yemen is likely to be hit by another outbreak of deadly cholera within months, Unicef’s Middle East director has warned on the eve of the third anniversary of the country’s civil war.

More than 1 million children were infected by cholera last year due to lack of access to water and vaccination. Unicef’s Geert Cappelaere said one child every 10 minutes was dying from preventable diseases in Yemen.

“Let us not fool ourselves. Cholera is going to come back,” he said on Sunday. “In a few weeks from now the rainy season will start again and without a huge and immediate investment, cholera will again hit Yemeni children.”

“We are using endless time, energy and money for issues that we should never have to negotiate. The lives of children should not be negotiable,” he said.

He said there was an education crisis, with 500,000 more children no longer able to go to school. “Two million Yemeni boys and girls are no longer attending school or never had a chance to attend school,” he said. More than 500 schools had been destroyed and the majority of teachers were paid no salary.

A new UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, visited San’a for the first time this weekend, amid hotly denied reports that secret talks had been taking place in Oman between Houthis and the UN-recognised government. UK diplomatic sources suggest only informal talks are under way.

The US government sealed an arms deal worth $1bn (£710m), including a $670m deal for anti-tank missiles to the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on his visit to Washington