A local official in Taiz Governorate, southwestern Yemen, reported on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, that the cholera epidemic in the province has claimed 36 lives and infected over 5,000 people since the beginning of the year.

Tayser Al-Samie, the media official at the Taiz Health Office, told the German Press Agency that the number of cholera cases in the governorate has reached 5,045, with 706 confirmed by laboratory testing.

Regarding the spread of dengue fever, Al-Samie explained that health authorities have recorded 1,898 cases since the beginning of the year, with no reported deaths from this disease.

He pointed out that suspected measles cases in the governorate have reached 1,171, with 8 deaths during the same period. He attributed the persistent spread of diseases to the severe suffering faced by the health sector due to the repercussions of the war.

The local official warned of the continued spread of diseases and epidemics due to the ongoing rainy season in the country. He stated that the situation requires urgent intervention from donors to provide for the needs of the health sector, which is facing one of its most challenging periods due to a lack of funding.

It is worth noting that approximately 200 people have died and hundreds more have been injured due to floods in several Yemeni governorates since the beginning of August. The United Nations has warned of the humanitarian and health consequences of the floods.