The World Health Organization announced that Yemen has the highest cholera infection rate in the world, after recording 249,900 suspected cases of the disease and 861 associated deaths, until December 1, 2024.
These numbers constitute 35% of the global burden of cholera cases and 18% of recorded deaths worldwide.
The organization indicated in a statement that the cases and deaths reported in November 2024 witnessed a significant increase of 37% and 27%, respectively, compared to the same month in 2023.
The organization attributed this increase to updating data in Yemen and adding detailed information from all governorates.
The organization confirmed that Yemen has been suffering from a continuous cholera outbreak for years, as it witnessed the largest outbreak of the disease in modern history between 2017 and 2020.
These alarming numbers raise great concerns about the deteriorating health situation in Yemen, and call for the need to intensify efforts to combat the cholera outbreak and provide the necessary support to the damaged health system.
