International Committee of Red Cross reports 300,000 cases of cholera in Yemen

The Red Cross says that more than 7,000 new suspected cases are diagnosed each day in a country hit by war and economic collapse as well as near famine. The epidemic has been raging now for 10 weeks. While the spread of cholera in the worst hit regions has slowed, the disease is spreading to other areas. The worst hit areas are in the west of the country where there has been a continuous war between a Saudi-led coalition supporting the government of Mansour Hadi in the port city of Aden and Houthi rebels who hold much of the north-west of Yemen and the capital Sanaa.

The war has helped the spread of the disease caused by human waste getting into food or water. It thrives where there is poor sanitation. A few cases are now appearing further east in the Hadramawt region and Mukalla port. The economic collapse has resulted in 30,000 health workers going unpaid for more than 10 months. The UN has issued "incentive payments" to get them involved in a campaign to fight cholera. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up a network of rehydration points. These together with what is left of the Yemeni health system has managed to keep the death rate relatively low at just 0.6 percent of cases. Even so, more than 1,700 have lost their lives to the disease.

The spread of the disease has caused humanitarian organizations to divert some resources from tackling the malnutrition issue to combating the disease. UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrich said:"Humanitarian organisations have had to reprogramme their resources away from malnutrition and reuse them to control the cholera outbreak. And if we don't get these resources replaced, then using those resources for cholera will mean that food insecurity will suffer." There are almost 19 million Yemenis reliant upon aid, and according to the Red Cross this is the world's largest single humanitarian crisis. Only 45 per cent of Yemen's hospitals are operational and medicines and medical supplies are scarce.

In theory prevention of cholera is simple. Wash your hands with clean water. Drink clean water. Eat food that has been boiled or well cooked. However, clean water in Yemen is scarce. In Sanaa the capital the municipal workers have not been paid in months. There is no electricity and rubbish is piling up in the streets. However, there are 17 cholera treatment centers across Yemen.

WHO has decided it will be unlikely to try to attempt a cholera vaccination campaign in Yemen, reversing a decision to do so made a month ago. The reversal is due to the already rampant spread of the disease and security conditions. A spokesperson for the WHO, Christian Lindmeier, said doses
readied for shipment to Yemen will probably be sent to other parts of the world in danger from the disease saying: “There is a likelihood they will not be used anymore in Yemen and therefore rerouted to other areas/countries who may need them more urgently right now.” The announcement came as a surprise to many.

Fully one third of Americans believe torture is just part of war

A recent poll by the International Red Cross (ICRC) shows more Americans and other westerners are more likely to accept torture, harsh interrogation techniques and indiscriminate bombing than they were in 1999.

A majority among those surveyed including in the U.S. still believe that bombing of populated areas and torturing detainees is wrong, but compared to an earlier survey rising numbers especially in the U.S. and the U.K. are willing to accept less humane practices if it means winning the battle quicker. However, those in areas subjected to the worst effects of wars were strongly in favor of the laws of war.

The survey was carried out between June and September of 2016, and involved 17,000 people in 16 different countries. A similar survey was carried out in 1999. Overall two-thirds of respondents thought torture was wrong but more approved harsh interrogation techniques than in 1999. ICRC Director-General,Yves Daccord, said: “In the U.S. in the last 15 years, torture seems like something which is accepted, as something that you use as a tool to get information, whereas the military interestingly enough will tell you this is not at all the tool you need to use. Not only is it not good for human dignity, but it doesn’t provide you with the right information.”

Ironically, President-elect Donald Trump, who has spoken in favor of torture, has nominated Marine General James Mattis for Secretary of Defense. In contrast to Trump, Mattis said he got further with a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers compared to using pain. In a statement Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff said:“The United States will never go back to waterboarding or any form of torture, something I believe the vast majority of the military, intelligence community and American public would never condone. Not only is it immoral, but it is also unconstitutional, ineffective and violative of both U.S. and international law."

In spite of the illegality of torture and its condemnation by many political and military officials, many in the American public accept it. One third of Americans consider torture simply part of war. 46 per cent believe an enemy combatant could be tortured to obtain important information. Just over half of Americans thought torture was wrong. Americans were more accepting of torture than Syrians, Afghans, Russians, Chinese and French.

More positive were the views of more than two thirds of those surveyed who believed that war should have limits. More than half of the respondents also felt that the Geneva Conventions kept wars from becoming worse. Three quarters of those surveyed believed attacks on hospitals and health-care providers were wrong. Russian respondents were even more disapproving of such acts than were Americans or the British. However, the actions of states with respect to the laws of war are often in contrast to majority public opinion on the matter.

Ewan Watson, who is head of Public Relations at the ICRC said of the effect of "War on Terror" rhetoric on public opinion:That definitely has gripped into popular culture. If you look at films which show torture in action, this notion of the ticking time bomb, that you must torture somebody to reveal information that will stop something tragic happening. All that provides a kind of rational framework for torture to happen. In fact, studies have shown that torture is not a method to obtain valid information. What it does, is just create enemies for life. This is in a sense ironic that people are more receptive to torture, which then creates the potential for hatred and revenge. Hence, it creates a vicious circle.Watson notes also that while International Humanitarian Law prohibits attacking healthcare facilities such attacks are seen on a daily basis on TV. He said states and non-state actors should realize that following the laws of war will not prevent them from winning and actually makes it easier to rehabilitate a country after a war is over since feelings of hatred and revenge have not been exacerbated by violations of the laws of war.

A more positive aspect of the survey is that the views of more than two thirds of those surveyed believed that war should have limits. More than half of the respondents also felt that the Geneva Conventions kept wars from becoming worse. Three quarters of those surveyed believed attacks on hospitals and health-care providers were wrong. Russian respondents were even more disapproving of such acts than were Americans or the British. The entire survey can be found on the IRC website.