Barran Press
The United Nations announced on Wednesday that the death toll from the cholera outbreak in Yemen has increased significantly, reaching 720 fatalities since March. The organization warned that the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate due to ongoing conflict and regional interventions.
Joyce Msuya, the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, reported that over 203,000 suspected cholera cases have been documented in Yemen during the same period, with women and girls comprising a substantial portion of those affected.
Msuya noted, “More than 720 lives have been lost to cholera, with women and girls accounting for 53 percent of the cases.” She attributed the worsening humanitarian crisis to multiple factors, including the protracted war, continuous attacks on vital infrastructure, and regional interventions, all of which have exacerbated the situation.
“We are extremely troubled by the ongoing attacks launched from and against Yemen, which have damaged critical infrastructure, including energy facilities and ports in Al Hudaydah and Ras Isa,” she added, referring to the conflict involving the Houthis and external forces.
On August 27, UNICEF reported that 668 people had died from cholera in Yemen since the beginning of 2024, alongside more than 172,000 suspected cases of the disease.
Yemen has been embroiled in a continuous war for the past decade, leading to the destruction of much of its infrastructure, including the healthcare sector, and resulting in one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, according to UN assessments.