Saudi Arabia donates $66mln to fight Yemen cholera epidemic‏

English version

اليمن العربي

Saudi Arabia's crown prince has donated $66.7 million to combat a cholera epidemic in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting in a war blamed for causing a humanitarian disaster. 

The donation by Prince Mohammed bin Salman went to the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organisation (WHO), as requested by the organisations, a statement by the Saudi ministry of culture and information said. 

It would help them "respond effectively to the cholera situation in Yemen, through a combination of water, sanitation and healthcare activities", it said. 

The number of suspected cases of the disease, which is caused by the contamination of water or food by faeces, reached 179,548 by June 20, with 1,205 deaths, according to the WHO. 

U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien has described the cholera outbreak as a "man-made catastrophe" caused by the warring sides in Yemen's civil war and their international backers.