In response to the cholera outbreak in Yemen hitting the one million suspected cases mark, Oxfam is appalled at this horrifying new record for the impoverished country devastated by more than 1,000 days of war.
Shane Stevenson, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen, said: “It’s a disgrace that in the 21st century, an easy-to-treat disease like cholera could infect more than a million people in one country.
“This is the world’s worst recorded outbreak, a human-caused tragedy driven by more than a thousand days of a relentless and ruthless war. Month after month, the humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, slowly destroying every aspect of Yemenis’ lives.
“More than 16 million people – two thirds of the population of Australia – are currently without clean water and millions more face losing their supply unless the Saudi-led coalition’s blockade is lifted quickly.”
Rebecca Barber, Oxfam Australia’s Humanitarian Policy Advisor, said the $20 million of humanitarian funding the Australian Government provided for Yemen in 2017 was a welcome start.
“In 2018, the Australian Government needs to continue to closely monitor the crisis, plan for additional funding this year and continue to use diplomatic channels to push for peace.”
Donations to support Oxfam’s emergency responses in Yemen and around the world can be made online at oxfam.org.au/yemen or by calling 1800 034 034.
For interviews or more information, please contact Dylan Quinnell on 0450 668 350 or dylanq@oxfam.org.au
Photos of the cholera response in Yemen’s capital Sanaa are available here: https://wordsandpictures.oxfam.org.uk/?c=34771&k=3a37041588
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