Plagued by cholera, hunger, now diphtheria strangles children in war-ravaged Yemen
by Mohamed al-Azaki
SANAA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- In a public hospital in downtown Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, doctors are on emergency state over a sudden flare-up of deadly diphtheria.
The intensified care unit is full of sick children and women infected with the disease, a bacterial infection spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.
The disease causes a thick covering in the back of the throat and the most serious cases can kill a child within hours if not treated immediately.