Local Editor
Norway has increased its humanitarian support for the war-ridden country by 10 million NOK as more than 20,000 people are affected by cholera in Yemen.
– The cholera outbreak in Yemen is on top of an armed conflict and hunger crisis affecting large sections of the population.
Norway therefore raised humanitarian aid to Yemen by NOK 10 million and will continuously assess developments in the future, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Børge Brende, in a press release.
The number of suspected cases of cholera has more than doubled in the country over the last five days, said the Doctors Without Frontiers (MSF) organization.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 23,500 people are probably affected by cholera, and the authorities say the disease has spread to 18 of the country’s 22 provinces. Over 200 people have died of the disease, according to the WHO.
Brende said that if no immediate measures are taken to stop the spread, it may develop into a nationwide outbreak.
“It will have catastrophic consequences for an already hard-hit population,” Brende added.
Meanwhile, half of Yemen’s hospitals and health centers have been deactivated during the two-year civil war.
Norway increased this year’s support to Yemen to NOK 212 million, almost 100 million more than last year. The new aid comes in addition to that.
The Norwegian support is channeled through several UN organizations, the Red Cross movement and humanitarian organizations, which cooperate with local partners in Yemen.
Norway also contributes through the World Bank, the United Nations Emergency Fund (CERF) and the Education and Training Fund in crisis and conflict – Education Cannot Wait.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
