Cholera claims lives of 705 people in Yemen, 4,60,000 more suspected

Recent flash flooding, poor maintenance of waste management systems and a lack of access to clean water for drinking or irrigation have caused the spread of cholera across the country.

New York: Amid the ongoing crisis in Yemen, the UN said on Monday that cholera claimed lives of 705 people this year and over 4,60,000 are suspected.

The deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq said, "As of today, the outbreak of cholera in Yemen has reached over 460,000 suspected cases this year, including approximately 200,000 children. This exceeds the 380,000 total suspected cases in all of 2018."

The recent flash flooding, poor maintenance of waste management systems and a lack of access to clean water for drinking or irrigation have caused the spread of cholera across the country.Currently, the UN and partners are running nearly 1,200 cholera treatment facilities around the country. The Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan requires 4.2 billion (US) dollars to deliver humanitarian assistance to more than 20 (million) people this year. Today, only 32 percent of those requirements have been met.Earlier in 2014 Iranian-backed Houthi rebels had taken over Yemen's capital Sanaa and toppled the government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition allied with Hadi's internationally recognized government has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.