ICRC doubles its programme in Yemen, calling situation 'dire'

Record ID: 904179

  • Title: ICRC doubles its programme in Yemen, calling situation 'dire'
  • Date: 26th July 2017
  • Summary: TAIZ, YEMEN (JULY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) CONVOY DRIVING ALONG STREET ICRC PRESIDENT PETER MAURER WALKING WITH YEMENI OFFICIALS ICRC IDENTITY BADGE MAURER WITH YEMENI OFFICIALS MAURER VISITING PATIENT IN HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) PRESIDENT OF THE ICRC PETER MAURER, SAYING: "The overall situation is very dire and very catastrophic with regard to certain areas that I have mentioned, health situation in particular. If the ICRC within two weeks decides to double its programme in Yemen, it's an indication that the situation is very bad. Today, Yemen is the third largest, or the second largest operation of ICRC worldwide and this is testimony [to] how serious the situation is."
  • Embargoed: 9th August 2017 11:25
  • Keywords: Yemen Cholera Taiz Sanaa humanitarian crisis ICRC doubling its programme treatment centre Peter Maurer
  • Location: TAIZ & SANAA, YEMEN
  • City: TAIZ & SANAA, YEMEN
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016RCQZWN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is doubling its programme in Yemen, its president Peter Maurer said on Monday (July 24).
    Maurer described the situation in the country as "dire" during a visit to the besieged city of Taiz.
    UNICEF, World Health Organization and World Food Programme directors all visited the capital Sanaa on Tuesday (July 25) where they were shown around treatment centres for cholera patients.
    Yemen's cholera caseload was set to hit 400,000 on Tuesday, but the three-month epidemic is showing signs of slowing, according to World Health Organization data analysed by Reuters. New cases are continuing at between 5,000 and 6,000 per day, but the death rate has slowed dramatically over the past month, a potential sign that WHO's strategy of setting up a network of rehydration points to catch patients early is working.
    The cholera outbreak has prompted the U.N. to revise its humanitarian assessment and it now calculates 20.7 million Yemenis are in need of assistance, up from the previous figure of 18.8 million.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register