Reference :
V-P-YE-E-01619
Date :
12/05/2017
Caption :
Sana'a, Al Jumhuri hospital. Cholera patients sleep under the beds. As the number of patients increase, the medical staff struggle to accommodate them.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC website, “Yemen: War in the time of cholera”, 29 May 2017
“With almost 19 million reliant on aid, Yemen is the world's single largest humanitarian crisis.
Now it's in the grip of a cholera outbreak.
On 5 May, the Ministry of Health and Population in Sana'a declared a state of emergency. Since then, in only three short weeks, 55,206 cases have been reported – along with 500 fatalities.
With the country's health care system decimated by two years of war, health care workers are struggling to cope. Today, only 45% of hospitals are operational, while medicines and medical supplies are in short supply.
"We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," said ICRC Director of Operations, Dominik Stillhart in a news conference in Sana'a last month. Hospitals are understaffed and cannot accommodate the influx of patients - with up to four people seeking treatment per bed.
"There are people in the garden, and some even in their cars with the IV drip hanging from the window," he said.
Heavy rains and uncollected waste are further helping spread the disease.
The ICRC is on the ground working to provide IV fluids, oral rehydration salts, antibiotics and chlorine tablets to 12 health facilities in the most affected areas. We are also working to improve hygiene and sanitation conditions in 11 detention facilities around the country. But more must be done."
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
6024x4024
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
