Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, represented by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) launched on Monday an urgent response project to combat the spread of cholera in Yemen. This project is expected to benefit more than 1.15 million people in Yemen. Through its funding, Saudi Arabia aims to reduce cholera cases and limit its spread.

The project enhances the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic disease to neighboring countries by establishing medical teams to monitor travelers at air and land ports in four Yemeni governorates: Aden, Hadramaut, Hajjah, and Saada.

The project supports health facilities with cholera-specific medical supplies, such as rehydration solutions, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics, as well as medical supplies, sterilization materials, and protective equipment for healthcare workers. It also supports and expands the bed capacity of cholera treatment centers.

Meanwhile, the cholera epidemic continues to spread in the interim capital, Aden, with increasing cases arriving at isolation centers, amid warnings of a widespread outbreak in the governorates.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that Yemen bears the brunt of global cholera cases. By last December, the number of suspected cholera cases had reached approximately 249,900. While 861 cholera-related deaths have occurred since the beginning of this year, according to WHO data, which described the matter as representing 35 percent of the global cholera burden, in addition to 18 percent of the deaths reported globally.