UN says cholera cases in Yemen nearly 219,000

GENEVA, June 27 (KUNA) -- Nearly 219,000 suspected cholera cases have been registered in Yemen since April 27, but fatality rates have been on the decline, said the World Health Organization (WHO)'s senior emergency adviser for Yemen, Ahmed Zouiten on Tuesday.
The collapse of Yemen's infrastructure after more than two years of war has made for a "perfect storm for cholera," Zouiten added.
Yet, fatality rates of cholera in the country have dropped from 1.7 percent in early May to 0.6 percent now, Zouiten noted.
He attributed the fall to emergency intervention by the WHO, the UNICEF and partners in the capital Sanaa as well as other governorates.
Reported cases of cholera have also dropped in recent days with 39,000 over the past week compared with an average of 41,000 in previous weeks, he said.
Due to the conflict, only 45 percent of the health facilities in Yemen are now operating, and health workers have not received their wages for months now. (end) ta.msa