Unicef Mite
Since the cholera outbreak was reported on 27 April 2017, UNICEF has
distributed more than 600,000 ORS sachets and 20,000 Intravenous fluids to oral
rehydration points and homes. With partners, UNICEF has supported the
establishment of 488 oral rehydration therapy points and more than 20 Diarrhoea
Treatment Centres across the country.
Globally, cholera is on the rise - with an estimated 1.4 billion people at risk in
endemic countries and an estimated 3 million to 5 million cases and 100,0O0-
T20,000 deaths per year worldwide. In Yemen 16 million people lack access to
safe water and there are over 1 million suspected cases of acute watery diarrhoea
(AWD) and cholera.
In the months leading to 28 June 2017, three UNICEF charter planes have
delivered 36 tons of medical and water purification supplies to Yemen to scale up
efforts to combat the world's worst cholera outbreak. The supplies included,
750,000 sachets of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) enough to treat 150,000 people,
10.5 million water purification tablets and other sanitation items. "We are in a race
against time. Our teams are working with partners not only to provide treatment to
the sick and raise awareness among communities, but also to rapidly replenish
and distribute supplies and medicines ", said Dr Sherin Varkey, UNICEF Deputy
Representative in Yemen. "More airlifts of critical supplies will continue in the
coming days". In just two months, cholera has spread to almost every
governorate of Yemen. Already more than 1,300 people have died - one quarter of
them children. Civil servants, including doctors, nurses, water engineers and
rubbish collectors have not been paid for nearly 10 months.