Aden (South24 Center)

Recent data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, September 26, revealed that 201 cholera deaths have been recorded in Yemen since the beginning of 2025. This comes amidst a rapid disease outbreak fueled by a severe healthcare collapse resulting from prolonged conflict and poverty.

In its report, the organization indicated that the period between January 1st and August 31st witnessed 72,260 new cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhea. This included 10,848 cases and 34 deaths in August alone.

Consequently, Yemen ranked third globally in the scale of cholera spread, after Afghanistan (116,000 cases) and South Sudan (over 74,000 cases).

The WHO noted that cholera claimed 879 lives in Yemen in 2024 out of more than 260,000 infections. This represented 35% of global cases and 18% of global deaths from the disease last year.

In a related context, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated in a Friday announcement that "Yemenis need a truce from hostilities, not an endless cycle of escalation," reaffirming its commitment to assisting those affected and supporting medical facilities.

The statement pointed out that on Thursday, the ICRC delivered treatment supplies to several hospitals in Sana'a, which are facing increasing pressure due to the epidemic's spread.

Last May, the Public Health Office in the capital, Aden, warned that the epidemiological situation for cholera had become "catastrophic" after a relative lull that lasted two months, noting a significant rise in cases.

The office revealed that the withdrawal of supporting organizations from the isolation center, most notably the International Organization for Migration (IOM), had left the medical staff working on a voluntary basis with limited resources and were incapable of matching the outbreak's scale.

The Director of the Health Office added, in an urgent message to the Ministry of Health, that the support provided by the WHO was limited to only 3 doctors and 9 nurses, while cases exceeded 40 per day, supervised by just one doctor and three nurses.

He explained that this shortage impacted patient follow-up, leading to serious complications, including kidney failure, and resulting in deaths within just two days. He warned of a worsening situation without immediate intervention to support the isolation center with necessary medicines and medical staff.