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WHO sends health supplies to Yemen in response to cholera outbreak
WHO sent a large shipment of health supplies to Hodeida, Yemen, on Friday in response to an ongoing cholera outbreak that has been linked to 224,989 illnesses and 1,416 deaths as of June 29. The shipment included 20 ambulances, 100 cholera kits, hospital equipment and 128,000 bags of IV fluids, according to the organization.
“We needed a special kind of ship to carry the ambulances and luckily we found one in the region,” Nevio Zagaria, MD, PhD, head of WHO’s office in Yemen, said in a press release. “It was absolutely enormous. But so are the needs in Yemen right now. So, we have loaded as many supplies as possible onto it, including some therapeutic feeding items that our sister agency UNICEF will use for children suffering from malnutrition.”
Although cholera is endemic in Yemen, the country has reported a surge in cases since April 27. Nearly 5,000 cases are identified each day, according to WHO. The cholera outbreak, which WHO called the worst in the world, is fueled by ongoing violent conflict, malnutrition and damaged health, water and sanitation infrastructures. Access to medications has declined by more than 70%, the release said.
“People are dying in Yemen right now because they cannot access health care,” Zagaria said. “The most visible example of the health system’s inability to respond to the needs of the population is the ongoing cholera outbreak, which has resulted in the deaths of 1,500 Yemenis in just over 2 months. But people are also dying of things like childhood pneumonia, malaria, complications around childbirth, high blood pressure and diabetes because they cannot access treatment. The medicines and equipment delivered ... will save lives.”
The recent shipment was supported by efforts from the Emirates Red Crescent, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and the World Bank.
Disclosure: Zagaria is WHO representative.