"Unprecedented surge in #cholera cases in #Yemen. Over 23,400 suspected cholera cases and 242 deaths have been reported in 18 governorates," the organization wrote on Twitter.
Unprecedented surge in #cholera cases in #Yemen. Over 23,400 suspected cholera cases and 242 deaths have been reported in 18 governorates. pic.twitter.com/Js58wftJL6
— WHO Yemen (@WHOYemen) May 19, 2017
The cholera outbreak in Yemen was announced by the country's health authorities on October 6, 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7.6 million Yemenis live in areas with a high risk of cholera transmission.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) characterizes the situation in Yemen as "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world," with 18.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 10.3 million who require immediate aid to save or sustain their lives.