Yemen cholera outbreak: Death toll reaches 1,054, over 1,51,000 suspected cases, says WHO

Sanaa: The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the toll in the cholera outbreak in Yemen has reached 1,054, with the total suspected cases reaching 1,51,000. The outbreak has spread fast in 20 out of 22 Yemeni governorates in just seven weeks, since 27 April, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. [caption id=“attachment_3533383” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] People being treated for cholera in Yemen. AP[/caption] Last month, the WHO said the number of suspected cases could reach 3,00,000 in the next six months. The organisation warned that the healthcare system in Yemen is on the verge of collapse as many hospitals have shut down because of the ongoing conflict, saying only 45 percent of them are still operational and they are facing a shortage of supplies and staff. Two thirds of the total population, around 19 million, need humanitarian and protection aid. About 10.3 million people are close to famine and 14.5 million lack access to safe drinking water. The war has so far killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over 2 million others, according to humanitarian agencies.