Secretary General of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) Dr. Mohammed Al Falahi has announced that the UAE is sending medicines and health accessories to Yemen in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) to help control a cholera epidemic, currently spreading in the country. Addressing a press conference Thursday at the headquarters of the ERC in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Falahi said that the UAE key aid provider had already sent 100,000 liters of intravenous fluids (56 tons) aimed at fighting cholera in Yemen. This is the entire quantity of intravenous fluid solutions that were available in the entire UAE local market and it was sent in addition to 150,000 packets of oral rehydration salts, WAM reported. The ERC chief said that the UAE aid to fight cholera would cover all provinces of Yemen, including those under the control of the Houthi militias. "The UAE has responded quickly to the requirements of the World Health Organization to contain the outbreak of cholera since its onset in September last year. We have also supplied chlorine for sterilizing the water. Our particular focus has been on pregnant women and children, who are the worst victims of the disease," he explained. Dr. Al Falahi pointed out that more than 300,000 people benefitted so far from the steps taken to fight the epidemic. "This is in addition to strengthening the relief air bridge aimed at dealing with the scarcity in food. The United Nations has recently warned that seven million Yemenis face the threat of famine and that the food crisis in the country is the worst in the world," he said.
