WHO Warns of Cholera Risk in Yemen Displacement Camps

WHO Warns of Cholera Risk in Yemen Displacement Camps
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The World Health Organization has warned that deteriorating health, water and sanitation services are increasing the risk of cholera and other infectious diseases among displaced people in Yemen.

The WHO said suspected cholera cases had been reported in two internally displaced persons’ camps in Aden, prompting rapid response teams to work with local health authorities to investigate and monitor the situation.

The organisation reported 7,784 suspected cholera cases and warned that newly displaced families from Yemen’s western coast face particularly difficult living conditions. About 40 percent reportedly depend on surface water or open wells for drinking, while nearly one-third lack access to safe, sealable latrines.

The influx of people wounded in the conflict has also placed additional pressure on health services. Some maternal, child and emergency obstetric services at hospitals in Marib and Ras al-Ara were temporarily suspended after medical facilities and staff became overwhelmed by injured patients.

The WHO said only around 60 percent of health facilities in affected areas had been fully operational before the latest escalation.

Displaced families from the Hodeidah coast are currently scattered across Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, with many staying with host families or in tents and temporary shelters.

The WHO warned that inadequate water, sanitation and healthcare services could facilitate outbreaks of cholera, measles, malaria and dengue fever, urging stronger health and sanitation measures to address the worsening humanitarian situation.