A cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed at least 115 people and left 8,500 ill as hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, citing figures compiled by the Yemeni health ministry.

ICRC said on Sunday that the victims died between April 27 and Saturday.

"We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," said ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart, at a news conference in the capital Sanaa.

More than 8,500 suspected cases of the waterborne disease were reported in the same period in 14 governorates across Yemen, Stillhart said, up from 2,300 cases in 10 governorates last week.

READ MORE: Ould Cheikh Ahmed - Yemen on 'brink of abyss'

This is the second outbreak of cholera in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country.

Yemen is in the grips of a war between the Saudi-supported government and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, and fewer than half of the country's health facilities are functioning two years into the conflict.

Stillhart said hospitals were filled beyond capacity with patients displaying symptoms of cholera, a bacterial infection contracted through ingesting contaminated food or water.

"There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed," Stillhart said.

"There are people in the garden, and some even in their cars with the IV drip hanging from the window."

The World Health Organization now classifies Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.

READ MORE: Famine 'largest humanitarian crisis in history of UN'

Critical food imports are also at an all-time low as many of the country's Red Sea ports are blockaded.

The United Nations has warned that 17 million people, equivalent to two-thirds of the population, are at imminent risk of famine in Yemen.

More than 8,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to support Yemen's government in 2015, according to the WHO.</s>A cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed 115 people and left 8,500 ill as hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday. Patients with cholera symptoms receive medical attention in a hospital of field of Samaritan's Purse in Randelle, Haiti, on October 19, 2016 "We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," said ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart at a news conference in the capital Sanaa.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Manila Bulletin.</s>Authorities in Sanaa, which is controlled by Shiite rebels, have declared a state of emergency in the Yemeni capital, where a deadly outbreak of cholera has spread rapidly.

The Huthi-run health ministry said it was "unable to contain this disaster" and appealed for international humanitarian assistance to deal with the crisis, in a statement released overnight.

Yemen is witnessing a devastating war between the Iranian-backed Huthis and the Saudi-supported government, and less than half of the country's health facilities are functioning two years into the conflict.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Sunday the cholera outbreak has killed 115 people and left 8,500 ill between April 27 and Saturday.

This is the second outbreak of cholera in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country.

The World Health Organization now classifies Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.</s>The outbreak of the waterborne disease is the second Yemen has suffered in less than a year."We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," Director of Operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross Dominik Stillhart told a news conference in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Sunday.Citing figures compiled by Yemen's Health Ministry, he reported that 115 people had died of cholera between April 27 and Saturday. This is a dramatic jump from the death toll of 51 cited by the World Health Organization earlier on Thursday, marking a rapidly worsening situation.Stillhart said hospitals could not accommodate all of the patients, with"There are people in the garden, and," he said.Cholera outbreaks are symptomatic of the dire conditions in Yemen, which is suffering from a two-year-old civil war and a transport blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, which is supporting one side in the conflict.The blockade is hampering the delivery of crucial humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, while Saudi airstrikes have contributed to deterioration of civilian infrastructure, such as water treatment plants.</s>A cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed 115 people and left 8,500 ill as hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday.

“We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera,” said ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart at a news conference in the capital Sanaa.

Citing figures compiled by the Yemeni health ministry, Stillhart said 115 people had died of cholera between April 27 and Saturday.

More than 8,500 suspected cases of the waterborne disease were reported in the same period in 14 provinces across Yemen, Stillhart said, up from 2,300 cases in 10 provinces last week.

This is the second outbreak of cholera in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country. Yemen is witnessing a devastating war between the Saudi-supported government and Iranian-backed Huthi rebels, and less than half of the country's health facilities are functioning two years into the conflict.

“The humanitarian situation in Yemen is catastrophic,” Stillhart said.

Hospitals were filled beyond capacity with patients displaying symptoms of cholera, a bacterial infection contracted through ingesting contaminated food or water, he said. “There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed,” Stillhart added.

“There are people in the garden, and some even in their cars with the IV drip hanging from the window.”

A garbage crisis caused by a 10-day pay strike by trash collectors in Sanaa has “contributed to the outbreak,” said Stillhart.

People walking about in Sanaa have been seen wearing face masks to avoid the stench of rotting refuse that has piled up on the streets of the capital.

Jameel Nashir, Yemen's health chief at the World Health Organisation, said Sanaa residents should follow strict guidelines “like cleaning fruits and vegetables very well”.

They should also avoid eating food that has been left uncovered and “use good water from sources that are safe and away from the polluted areas,” he told AFP.

The WHO now classifies Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.

Critical food imports are also at an all-time low as many of the country's Red Sea ports are blockaded. The United Nations has warned 17 million people — equivalent to two-thirds of the population — are at imminent risk of famine in Yemen.

More than 8,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to support Yemen's government in 2015, according to the WHO.</s>Alwaght- A cholera outbreak in Yemen has claimed the lives of 115 people, while some 8,500 others are suffering from the infection as Saudi Arabia continues bombardment on the impoverished state.

Medics say the number of patients is currently overwhelming Yemen’s hospitals this being the second outbreak of the waterborne disease in less than a year.

“We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera,” Director of Operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross Dominik Stillhart told a news conference in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday. Citing figures compiled by Yemen’s Health Ministry, he reported that 115 people had died of cholera between April 27 and 12 may. This is a dramatic jump from the death toll of 51 cited by the World Health Organization earlier on Thursday, marking a rapidly worsening situation.

Stillhart said hospitals could not accommodate all of the 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.

Cholera outbreaks are symptomatic of the dire conditions in Yemen, which is suffering from a Saudi-led aggression now in its third year. The Saudi regime has also imposed a transport blockade on the war-torn country.

The blockade is hampering the delivery of crucial humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, while Saudi airstrikes have contributed to deterioration of civilian infrastructure, such as water treatment plants. The UN says 17 million people in Yemen are at imminent risk of famine. Over 12,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians including women and children, have been killed during the ongoing Saudi-led aggression on Yemen.

Last April, children rights groups, Save the Children and Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict said that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen, backed by the UK and the US must be put on a UN violations list for repeated attacks on medical facilities and violating the rights of children. In a report the two bodies noted that, the conflict has forced more than half of Yemen’s medical facilities out of action, leading to the “near collapse of the country’s already fragile healthcare system.” The report says those that remain face severe shortages of medicine and equipment in the face of a maritime block imposed by the Saudi-led aggressors.</s>A cholera outbreak in Yemen has killed at least 180 people since April 27, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday.

Two years into a war between Houthi rebels and government forces allied with a Saudi-led Arab military coalition, which has killed more than 8,000 people, Yemen has declared a state of emergency in the capital Sana'a over the outbreak.

Fighting has taken a toll on medical facilities in the war-torn country, as more than half of Yemen's facilities, which are now operated by Houthi rebels, no longer function.

The U.N. says some 17 million of Yemen's 26 million people lack sufficient food and at least three million malnourished children are in "grave peril."

U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick and other international officials met with the health ministry in the Houthi-run capital of Sana'a, urging aid donors to assist to avoid an "unprecedented disaster."

Yemen, which is the Arab world's poorest nation, is now classified by the World Health Organization as a level three emergency, alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.

Cholera is highly contagious and can be contracted from ingesting contaminated food and water.</s>A state of emergency has been declared in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, after an outbreak of cholera killed scores of people.Hospitals in the city, which is controlled by Houthi rebels, are crowded with cholera patients.

The Red Cross says the number of suspected cases in the country has tripled in a week to more than 8,500.Yemen has been ravaged by hunger and civil war, allowing disease to spread rapidly.

Two-thirds of the population do not have access to safe drinking water, according to the UN.

Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, told a news conference in Sanaa on Sunday that there had been 115 deaths from cholera nationwide from 27 April – 13 May.

“We now are facing a serious outbreak,” he said. Sanaa has been worst hit, followed by the surrounding province of Amanat al-Semah, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.

Cholera is a water-borne disease that is transmitted through contaminated water and food.

Symptoms include acute diarrhoea and vomiting. People with cholera can become very sick and, if left untreated, death can occur within hours.

It is the second outbreak of cholera in Yemen in a year.The WHO said last week that fewer than 45% of health facilities in Yemen were fully functioning.

Almost 300 hospitals or clinics have been damaged or destroyed in fighting between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi – who is backed by a Saudi-led multinational coalition – and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.

Since fighting escalated in March 2015, more than 8,010 people – mostly civilians – have been killed and about 44,500 others injured, the UN says.

The civil war has also left 18.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.</s>ADEN/DUBAI, May 15 (Reuters) - Cholera has killed at least 180 people in Yemen in recent weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday, a day after authorities declared a state of emergency in the capital Sanaa and called for international help.

Sanaa is controlled by the armed Houthi movement, which is aligned with Iran and fighting a Western-backed, Saudi-led coalition. More than 10,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in more than two years of war, which has also destroyed much of the country's infrastructure.

Only a few medical facilities are still functioning and two-thirds of the population are without access to safe drinking water, the United Nations has said.

Dominik Stillhart of the ICRC told reporters in the port city of Aden that at least 180 people had died from the acute diarrhoeal disease since April 27, and that 11,000 more suspected cholera cases had been reported across the impoverished country.

Houthi authorities have said 115 of those who have died were in the city of Sanaa and its province.

"What is happening today exceeds the capabilities of any healthy health system, so how can we (cope) when we are in these difficult and complicated conditions," Saba news agency quoted the Houthi-run administration's health minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafeedh as saying.

The ministry, after meeting in Sanaa with U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick and other international officials, called on humanitarian organisations and aid donors to help it avert an "unprecedented disaster".

It declared a "state of health emergency in the capital," the agency said.

Saba said 8,595 suspected cholera cases were recorded in Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces between April 27 and May 13, while laboratory-confirmed cases were 213. The disease can be fatal within hours if left untreated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier put the death toll at 51. It has also said that 7.6 million people in Yemen live in areas at high risk of cholera transmission.

A cholera epidemic late last year petered out but outbreaks are becoming more frequent.

Sanaa has been worst hit, followed by the surrounding province of Amanat al-Semah, WHO data has shown. Cases have also been reported in other major cities including Hodeidah, Taiz and Aden.

Some 17 million of Yemen's 26 million people lack sufficient food and at least three million malnourished children are in "grave peril", the U.N. has also said. (Reporting by Muhammed Mukhashaf and Ali Abdelatti Writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi, Sami Aboudi,; editing by John Stonestreet and Gareth Jones)</s>SANAA - A cholera outbreak has rapidly spread in Yemen, killing 115 people in two weeks in the impoverished country where hospitals badly damaged by more than two years of war can barely cope. Patients with cholera symptoms have flooded the run-down medical facilities, as international relief agencies warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation and urged citizens to exercise hygiene precautions.

"We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," said Dominik Stillhart, the director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross at a news conference in Sanaa on Sunday. Citing figures compiled by the Yemeni health ministry, Stillhart said 115 people had died of cholera between April 27 and Saturday. More than 8,500 suspected cases of the waterborne disease were reported in the same period in 14 governorates across Yemen, Stillhart said, up from 2,300 cases in 10 governorates last week.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) expressed fears on Sunday that health authorities alone will not be able to deal with the outbreak.

"MSF calls on international organisations to scale up their assistance urgently to limit the spread of the outbreak and anticipate potential other ones," it said in a statement. This is the second outbreak of cholera, a bacterial infection contracted through ingesting contaminated food or water, in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country.

Yemen is witnessing a devastating war between the Saudi-supported government and Iranian-backed Huthi rebels, and less than half of the country's health facilities are functioning two years into the conflict. "The humanitarian situation in Yemen is catastrophic," Stillhart said.

"There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed," Stillhart said. "There are people in the garden, and some even in their cars with the IV drip hanging from the window," he said, adding that the ICRC has intervened with IV fluid, chlorine tablets and oral rehydration salts.

A garbage crisis in the capital caused by municipality trash collectors going on a 10-day pay strike, which ended over the weekend, contributed to the outbreak, said Stillhart. Piles of garbage had mounted in the capital's streets, with residents and passersby wearing masks to avoid the stench of rotting refuse.

Residents of Sanaa "need to follow the guidelines, like cleaning fruits and vegetables very well and not eating uncovered foods that might be polluted," said Jameel Nashir, Yemen's health chief at the World Health Organisation. "Additionally, they should use good water from sources that are safe and away from the polluted areas," he told AFP.

Ali al-Washali, a patient who suffered severe diarrhoea, said his neighbourhood has always been supplied with water from artesian wells delivered in tankers without any problems, "except for now, as people are getting sick."

The WHO now classifies Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq. The ICRC has decided to "significantly expand" operations in Yemen owing to not only cholera but the overall humanitarian situation, Stillhart told reporters.

Critical food imports are also at an all-time low as many of the country's Red Sea ports are blockaded. The United Nations has warned 17 million people -- equivalent to two-thirds of the population -- are at imminent risk of famine in Yemen. More than 8,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to support Yemen's government in 2015, according to the WHO.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a cholera outbreak has since April 27 killed at least 115 people and left another 8,500 ill across Yemen.