Saudi-led coalition largely responsible for Yemen’s cholera outbreak, researchers say

Due to Saudi-led air strikes and blockades, the cholera outbreak in Yemen is disproportionately affecting rebel-controlled areas, a letter recently published by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) researchers in The Lancet Global Health said.

According to the analysis, eight out of 10 cholera deaths in Yemen occurred in areas controlled by Houthi rebels.

The researchers found that 77.7 percent of cholera cases and 80.7 percent of deaths from cholera occurred in Houthi-controlled governorates compared to 15.4 percent of cases and 10.4 percent of deaths in government-controlled governorates.

In Houthi-controlled areas, 1.8 percent of the population has contracted cholera, while 1.0 per cent contracted it in government-controlled areas. 0.46 per cent of those who contracted cholera died in Houthi-controlled areas compared to 0.30 per cent in government-controlled areas.

“Both sides have been accused of disregarding the well being of civilians and breaching international humanitarian law,” the researchers said in the letter. “But the government and Saudi-led coalition that supports it command far greater resources. As a result, Houthi-controlled areas have been disproportionately affected by the conflict, which has created conditions conducive to the spread of cholera.”

In June 2017, UNICEF and WHO released a statement, which called the situation in Yemen “the worst cholera outbreak in the world.” The statement recognized that the civil war caused the outbreak but did not lay the blame more on one side than the other or say that one side was more severely affected than the other.

“Saudi Arabia is an ally of the UK and USA,” Jonathan Kennedy of QMUL said. “American and British companies supply Saudi Arabia with huge amounts of military equipment and their armed forces provide logistical support and intelligence. This backing has made the Saudi-led airstrikes and blockade possible, and therefore the UK and USA have played a crucial role in creating conditions conducive to the spread of cholera.”