(26 Jun 2017) On the streets of the Yemeni capital, volunteers move from house to house to raise awareness about cholera, a disease that has spread like wildfire in the war-torn country.
Talking to Sanaa's residents and distributing leaflets, the UNICEF-backed volunteer field team are part of an effort to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease, with over 170,000 cases now reported, according to the United Nations.
The number is expected to rise, with some estimates reporting that those infected could reach 300,000 by September.
The UN says collapsing health, water and sanitation systems have cut off 14.5 million people from regular access to clean water and sanitation, increasing the ability of the disease to spread.
So far over 1,000 people have died of the disease, a quarter of those children, and many malnourished.
Bushra Othman, one of the volunteers, stressed how little locals seemed to know about cholera.
"The most important thing is to let them know the danger of this disease," Othman said.
Meritxell Relano, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) representative in Yemen, says that the already weakened health system, hit by years of civil war, is struggling to cope.
Salaries for health worker haven't been paid since last October, she said, and investment is lacking, not just in healthcare but sanitation systems that are important to stop the spread of the disease.
While supplies to prevent and treat cholera are coming in via Sanaa's airport, UNICEF says that the plane loads arriving are struggling to keep up with demand.
The war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 civilians, with a Saudi-led coalition battling Shiite Houthi rebels in the country since March 2015.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
