The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said that between March 2024 and August 2025, Yemen recorded about 332,000 suspected cholera cases and 1,073 related deaths, ranking third globally in infections.
In its latest report, it said that the cholera outbreak has become endemic in Yemen due to its extensive spread, high infection and death rates, and failure to address root causes.
“Between 2017 and 2020, Yemen suffered the largest cholera outbreak in modern history, and new cases are still recorded daily, further straining an already collapsed health system amid dwindling international funding and fragile water and sanitation infrastructure,” it noted.
The report added that the outbreak “stems directly from the collapse of water and sanitation networks, poor waste management, and obstruction of medical teams and supplies.”
“The de facto authorities and parties in Yemen” are responsible for maintaining, repairing, and protecting these networks and ensuring access to safe water and sanitation services, it stated.
According to the Monitor, the most vulnerable groups, particularly children and women, bear the greatest burden of humanitarian crises, including cholera outbreaks.
“Tens of thousands of Yemeni children contract acute diarrhea caused by cholera each year, leading to dehydration, severe malnutrition, and life-threatening illness. Severe overcrowding in displacement camps, poor hygiene and sanitation, and limited access to safe water make these camps ideal environments for the rapid spread of the disease among vulnerable groups,” it said.
It added that available data on the outbreak likely understate the true scale of the crisis.
“Actual infections and deaths are believed to be much higher due to weak surveillance systems, limited healthcare coverage, and many families’ reluctance to report cases because of the difficulty in accessing medical facilities. These factors make accurately assessing the epidemic’s scope extremely difficult,” said the report.
The Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) faces a severe funding shortfall exceeding 80 percent, caused by several donor countries and entities failing to honor their financial pledges, it added.
By September this year, only 474 million dollars of the 2.48 billion required had been disbursed. “This shortfall has weakened cholera control programs and disrupted many preventive and treatment activities, despite the significant efforts of local and international health organizations to protect millions of Yemenis from the epidemic.”
The Monitor called on states to honor their pledges.
