Yemen is likely to be struck by another "major wave" of cholera cases, the World Health Organisation said Friday (August 3rd), as it called for a three-day truce to allow vaccinations, AFP reported.
"We have had two major waves of cholera epidemics in recent years and unfortunately the trend that we have seen in recent days to weeks suggests that we may be on the cusp of the third major wave," WHO's emergency response director, Peter Salama, told reporters in Geneva.
"We are calling on all parties to the conflict to act in accordance with international humanitarian law and to respect the request of the international community for three full days of tranquility to lay down arms and to allow us to vaccinate the civilian population," he added.
Yemen has seen more than a million suspected cholera cases amid the conflict between Iran-backed Houthis (Ansarallah) and government forces supported by the Arab coalition.
Salama explained that the vaccination drive is set to run from Saturday to Monday and is aiming to target more than 500,000 people.
