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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 10 August 2017 - Yemen, Ethiopia

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The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

(excerpt)

**Yemen

Looking at Yemen, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the cholera outbreak in Yemen has spread to all but 1 of its 22 governorates, with more than 480,000 suspected cases and nearly 2,000 associated deaths from cholera and other diarrhoeal-related diseases. The number of new cases has been declining for several weeks, having plateaued in the four most affected governorates of Sana’a City, Hodeidah, Hajjah and Amran.

However, there are concerns the numbers could rise as Yemen heads into its rainy season while health workers have not been paid in nearly a year and some 8.8 million people are living in areas without enough health centres. The UN and its partners have set up more than 200 cholera treatment centres and more than 900 oral rehydration points. Regular UN-operated flights carrying supplies to address cholera between Dijbouti and Sana’a began last week. We have received less than half of the $254 million we need to respond to the cholera outbreak.

**Ethiopia

And from Ethiopia, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that 8.5 million people need humanitarian assistance during the second half of 2017 — an increase from 5.6 million people at the start of the year. Rainfall was lower than expected, worsening the already severe drought conditions, particularly in the Somali region. Humanitarian actors are currently scaling up operations in support of the response led by the Government.