Yemen’s Cholera Crisis: IRC Concludes Response,Warns of Future Threat
Aden,Yemen,May 8,2025 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has completed its eight-month emergency response to Yemen’s most severe cholera outbreak since 2017. While the IRC’s intervention helped to mitigate the crisis, the organization warns that Yemen remains highly vulnerable to future epidemics without sustained global action.
The Scale of the Outbreak
In 2024, Yemen reported over 260,000 suspected cholera cases, resulting in more than 870 deaths. This accounted for 35% of global cholera infections and 18% of fatalities worldwide. The IRC’s efforts provided critical relief, but underlying issues continue to pose a significant threat.
IRC’s Emergency Response
The IRC, in collaboration with local partners, implemented a rapid and coordinated response. Key activities included:
- Operating emergency treatment centers and rehydration points in severely affected governorates, including Amanat Al Asimah, Amran, Al Mahwit, Hajjah, Al Hudaydah, Abyan, and Al Dhale’e.
- Treating over 19,000 suspected cholera and acute watery diarrhea cases.
- Distributing 12,000 cholera kits, reaching 70,000 individuals.
- Promoting lifesaving hygiene practices to over 200,000 people.
The IRC’s proactive approach, including prepositioned supplies and trained health workers, helped communities protect themselves, maintaining a fatality rate below 1% in areas where they operated.
Voices from the Ground
Dr. Amr Saleh, the IRC’s Senior Emergency health and Nutrition Officer, emphasized the ongoing risk:
Cholera remains a ticking time bomb in yemen. By fighting cholera, we reached some of Yemen’s most marginalized communities with life-saving care. We saw it firsthand: a child saved just in time, a mother empowered to protect her family, communities tasting clean water after years without it. These efforts prevented further devastation in areas already on the brink. But with millions still cut off from safe water and healthcare, we urgently need global support to protect these fragile gains and stop the next outbreak before it starts.
Dr. Amr Saleh,IRC’s Senior Emergency Health and Nutrition Officer
Root Causes and Systemic Challenges
The cholera outbreak’s underlying causes remain unaddressed.Limited access to clean water, inadequate sanitation, malnutrition, and a weakened healthcare system continue to endanger millions.
A Call for Sustained Action
Isaiah Ogolla, acting Country Director in Yemen, highlighted the critical need for continued support:
With limited funding and rising humanitarian needs, Yemen’s cholera response stands at a critical crossroads. without urgent action, more lives will be lost, and the already fragile health crisis could spiral further out of control. Investing in Yemen’s health and water systems now is not just a moral imperative, but also a commitment to long-term stability, resilience, and human dignity. Yemenis have made their needs clear: they do not need temporary fixes, but sustained and meaningful support to rebuild their futures.
Isaiah Ogolla,Acting Country Director in Yemen
Seasonal rains exacerbate the problem,overwhelming sanitation systems and contaminating water sources,leading to predictable outbreaks.
Funding Gaps and Humanitarian Needs
The 2025 Humanitarian Needs & Response Plan requires $261 million for lifesaving health services for 10.6 million people and $176 million for clean water and sanitation for over six million people. As of May 2025, the health sector is only 14% funded, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts are just above 7% funded.
The IRC’s Urgent Appeal
The IRC is calling on donors and humanitarian partners to increase funding for Yemen’s health and WASH sectors. Sustained investment is essential to prevent the undoing of progress and to rebuild the country’s health system, expand access to clean water, and strengthen frontline capacity.
Did You Know?
Cholera is a preventable disease. Access to clean water and proper sanitation can significantly reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
About the IRC in Yemen
The International Rescue Committee has been active in Yemen since 2012, scaling up its response in 2015. Between 2022 and 2024, the IRC reached over five million people across 11 governorates, including 1.7 million in 2024 alone.
Pro Tip
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About the IRC
The International Rescue Committee responds to humanitarian crises worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933, the IRC works in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities.
Learn more at www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
