10 June 2017 – The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has recorded an additional 13 912 cholera cases in the country between 3 and 6 June 2017. A cumulative total of 96 219 suspected cases of cholera and 746 associated deaths have been reported across the country since the outbreak started in October 2016.

While cholera is endemic in Yemen, the country has experienced a surge in cholera cases since 27 April 2017. Cholera has affected around 268 districts in 19 governorates across the country. The case-fatality rate stands at 0.8% which is close to the emergency threshold of 1%.

WHO has intensified the cholera response activities to mitigate the outbreak, including the establishment of 4 cholera treatment facilities and 16 oral dehydration centres, training of health workers to manage cases, deployment of rapid response team to manage cholera cases investigations and respond to the outbreak, enhancement of Yemen’s disease early warning surveillance systems, and provision of emergency medical supplies to treatment facilities.

The ongoing response operations are severely hampered by limited active case-finding, population movement and displacement, poor accesses to health care services, food insecurity and malnutrition.