Hiiraan Online

Wednesday June 21, 2017

Somalia. Women at a distribution point in drought-hit Sool region receive food from the ICRC. CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ahmed Abdulkadir Said

JUBA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Wednesday warned that cholera outbreaks in East Africa and Yemen are compounding famine risks.

IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy, warned that cholera was already diverting resources and focus away from efforts to treat malnutrition and widespread hunger.

"Right now, Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff are working around the clock to stop the spread of cholera, and to treat people who are sick," said Sy in a statement.

"But without treatment for malnutrition, more people will fall ill. And a child who survives cholera will be even further malnourished. It is the most vicious of vicious spirals, and the situation is rapidly escalating downwards and out of control," he added.

Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan are now grappling with escalating cholera outbreaks that have infected more than 220,000 people and killed nearly 2,100 since the beginning of 2017.

"Hunger kills in and of itself, but it kills to the nth degree when compounded by disease -- and often completely preventable disease, like measles, malaria, and cholera," said Sy.

According to the charity, there have been more than 51,000 cholera cases in Somalia and nearly 5,000 in South Sudan.

According to the UN, at least 248 people have died from cholera outbreak across 19 counties in South Sudan since the initial outbreak was reported in June 2016.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said as of May 15, 8,160 cholera cases had been reported since the initial case was recorded on June 18, 2016.

In Somalia, the UN says some 683 deaths have been recorded, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.8 percent since the beginning of the year.

Sy urged states to increase their funding for humanitarian appeals in each of these countries.

He repeated his appeal for more investment in long-term solutions to tackle the structural issues that left communities vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. This includes, he said, investing in strong local capacity.

"It is likely that between a quarter and a half of the excess mortality during food crises is due to these diseases. And well over three-quarters of victims are under five years old."

In Yemen alone, more than 166,000 cases have been reported since the end of April -- a figure that is climbing by an average of 6,000 cases every day.

"Although distinct, these outbreaks are all driven by a mix of similar factors, including severe food security that is itself the consequence of drought and conflict, and has triggered massive population movements," said the charity.