Al-Thawra Net
The World Health Organization says a diphtheria outbreak in war-torn Yemen has spread rapidly nationwide and infected more than 1,300 people.
WHO said in a statement that children and young adults account for almost 80 percent of cases and more than 70 people have died.
Diphtheria, first reported in Yemen in October last year, is a contagious and potentially fatal disease that primarily infects the throat and airways.
WHO said Friday a vaccination campaign targeting 2.7 million Yemeni children has been completed in 11 provinces.
The near three-year stalemated war has damaged Yemen’s infrastructure, crippled the health system and pushed it to the brink of famine.
