Barran Press
Medical sources in Yemen's capital Sana'a have reported a "worrying" spread of cholera in the provinces of Sana'a and Amran, amidst a media blackout by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community.
Speaking to "Barran Press" on condition of anonymity for security reasons, the sources revealed that "dozens of cases with severe watery diarrhea have reached various hospitals in Sana'a." They added that "dozens of patients remain in intensive care, while some have succumbed to the disease due to deteriorating health conditions," noting that "most cases have developed kidney failure due to delayed transport to hospitals."
The sources expressed astonishment at the Houthis' media silence regarding the outbreak and the absence of health awareness campaigns in Houthi-controlled media.
On May 20, 2024, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported nearly 20,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea/cholera in Yemen between January 1 and the end of March.
In their report on the humanitarian situation in Yemen from January 1 to March 2024, translated into Arabic by "Barran Press," UNICEF stated that "on March 14, there was an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhea/cholera in the northern governorates after a significant increase in cases was observed starting from week 11 of 2024."
Between March 14 and 31, 2024, the report noted that "over 6,029 cases of acute watery diarrhea/cholera were reported, with 56 deaths (case fatality rate 0.9%), and 47% of cases were clinically severe."
UNICEF predicted that the need for cholera treatment will peak in September 2024, before the main harvest season begins in October.
The organization also anticipated "an emergency situation (phase four of the Integrated Phase Classification)" in governorates under the control of authorities in Sana'a, where a majority of families have been relying on food aid from the World Food Programme since December 2023.
Yemen experienced the largest cholera outbreak in modern history (2016-2022), resulting in over 2.5 million suspected cases and 4,000 deaths, according to UNICEF.