Cholera emergency declared in Yemeni capital

Sanaa, May 15: A state of emergency has been declared in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, after an outbreak of cholera killed scores of people, the media reported on Monday.

Hospitals in the city, which is controlled by the Shia Houthi rebels, are crowded with cholera patients, the BBC quoted the Red Cross as saying.

The number of suspected cases in the country has tripled in a week to more than 8,500, it said.

Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, told a news conference in Sanaa on Sunday that there were 115 deaths from cholera nationwide from April 27 to May 13.

"We now are facing a serious outbreak," he said.

Sanaa has been worst hit, followed by the surrounding province of Amanat al-Semah, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).