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<p>The current cholera outbreak in Yemen has been declared by the UN as the worst
in the world. Since the start of the outbreak in April, over 612,000 suspected cholera
cases have been recorded and more than 2,000 deaths. Fewer than half of Yemen’s health
facilities are functioning, and more than 19 million people have no access to clean
water or sanitation.</p><p>In response, the UK increased aid to Yemen to £139 million
for 2017-18, prioritising life-saving interventions including clean water and sanitation
for an expected 1.2 million people. This also includes support to tackle the underlying
causes of cholera by helping provide emergency food, nutrition, as well as supporting
cholera prevention and providing medical supplies and treatment for those affected.</p><p>This
is a significant increase from previous years, and makes us the second-largest contributors
to the UN’s 2017 Yemen Appeal and the third-largest humanitarian donor overall. We
are constantly reviewing our position and examining whether further funding should
be made available, as we continue to work with the UN, other partners and donors to
monitor and improve the response to the outbreak.</p><p>On the 11<sup>th</sup> August,
the Secretary of State for International Development announced that we are targeting
£8 million of our support to UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration
on activities specifically to address cholera. The funding will be used to provide
medical supplies to half a million people, give safe access to chlorinated water to
300,000 people, and rehabilitate medical facilities used by 250,000 people.</p><p>
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