Yemen's cholera death toll rises to 1,500: WHO

A rapidly spreading cholera outbreak in Yemen has claimed 1,500 lives since April and is suspected of sickening 246,000 people, the World Health Organisation [WHO] said on Saturday, appealing for more aid to help end the epidemic.

The number of suspected cases in the country's second outbreak of cholera in six months has multiplied tenfold in the last two months, according to WHO representative in Yemen Dr. Nevio Zagaria, who was speaking in a news conference in Sanaa on Saturday.

The death toll rose from 1,300 as announced two weeks ago, which put the number of suspected cases at 200,000 at the time.

The organisation said that a quarter of those killed by the disease in the war-torn country are children.

Yemen has been devastated by a two-year Saudi-led campaign against Yemeni Houthi rebels, which has damaged infrastructure and caused medicine shortages in the Arab world's poorest country.

The conflict has destroyed Yemen’s health infrastructure and health workers have not been paid for over six months. WHO has been offering "incentives" to doctors, nurses, cleaners and paramedics to help contain the cholera outbreak.

According to Reuters, the organisation has received help from the World Bank, allowing it to set up treatment centres containing 50-60 beds, monitored by 14 medical staffs working in shifts around the clock.

Meanwhile, the war has left more than 10,000 dead since it escalated with the Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015.