UN says suspected cholera cases in Yemen surge to 460,000

The U.N. says over 460,000 suspected cholera cases have been recorded in war-battered Yemen so far this year — a sharp rise from the 380,000 cases for all of 2018.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq says 705 suspected cholera deaths have been recorded since January — a dramatic increase from the 75 deaths in the same period last year.

Haq says the spread of cholera has been accelerated by recent flash flooding, poor maintenance of waste management systems and lack of access to clean water.

The U.N. and its partners are operating nearly 1,200 cholera treatment facilities across Yemen, but Haq says "funding remains an urgent issue."

The U.N.'s $4.2 billion humanitarian appeal to help over 20 million Yemenis this year is only 32 percent funded.