Al-Thawra Net
More than one million Yemeni children are facing the risk of contracting cholera, an international charity organization warned.
The non-governmental organization, Save the Children that promotes children’s rights has found that more than one million Yemeni children under the age of 5 are living in areas most hit by an outbreak of cholera.
Some 200,000 out of the total number have severe malnutrition and are more likely to die if they catch the deadly disease, the organization added.
‘The district also has an estimated 31,000 children in need of treatment for acute malnutrition, or more than a quarter of children under the age of five,’ said the NGO.
‘More than 425,000 suspected cases of cholera have been reported across Yemen, with 1,900 deaths. Children under the age of 15 make up an increasing proportion of both new cases (44 percent) and fatalities (32 percent),’ according to the press release on the organization website.
A military intervention in Yemen was launched in 2015 by Saudi Arabia, accompanied by a number of other Arab states. The bombings have claimed lives of thousands Yemeni civilians, including hundreds of children.
Human rights groups have frequently accused Saudi Arabia of violating basic rights of Yemeni people, as the coalition aggression has bombarded many civilian places, including schools and hospitals.
Using forbidden weapons, such as cluster bombs, and targeting non-military places caused the UN to put the name of Saudi Arabia on the children-rights-violator list, though removed after less than 72 hours due to the Saudis’ pressures.
“The tragedy is that both malnutrition and cholera are easily treatable if you have access to basic health care. But hospitals and clinics have been destroyed, government health workers haven’t been paid for almost a year, and the delivery of vital aid is being obstructed,” Save the Children added.
