What is the issue?
Apart from civil war, Yemen is facing new challenges of humanitarian crisis including the recent outbreak of cholera.
What is Yemen civil war?
- The Yemeni Civil War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions claiming to constitute the Yemeni government.
- Houthi forces, loyal to the former President, have clashed with forces loyal to the current government.
- The Houthi forces captured the Yemen capital Sana.
- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are also agencies involved in the conflict.
- A coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations by using airstrikes to restore theYemeni government which is overthrown by Houthi.
- According to the UN, from March 2015 to March 2017, 16,200 people have been killed in Yemen, including 10,000 civilians.
What are the present issues in Yemen?
- Migration - Millions were displaced since 2015.
- Yet many migrants come to Yemen from the Horn of Africa seeking work in prosperous Gulf countries further north.
- Cholera - Yemen saw largest outbreak of Cholera in a single year.
- Just hours after being infected, vomiting and diarrhoea cause severe dehydration that can kill without rapid intervention.
- There are no proper facilities to treat people affected by diseases.
What are the reasons for recent cholera outbreak in Yemen?
- Primitive sanitation and water systems put Yemenis at the risk of drinking faeces-contaminated water.
- Wells are dirtied by the run-off from rainfall on piles of garbage.
- Farmland is irrigated with broken sewers due to negligent oversight and corruption.
- Medical intervention is delayed due to unpaid government employees and half of the country’s health facilities are out of service.
Source: The Hindu
