By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA

Cholera has killed some 209 people in war-torn Yemen in recent weeks, the UNICEF said Wednesday.

"To date, over 17,200 suspected cases of cholera have been reported across Yemen, including 209 associated deaths," the UN agency said on Twitter.

The sharp increase came one day after the agency said only 186 people had died from the disease.

On Sunday, the Houthi-run authorities declared a state of emergency in the capital Sanaa and appealed for international help to contain the cholera outbreak.

Yemen has fallen into civil war in 2014 after Houthi rebels overran capital Sanaa and other provinces.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi gains and shoring up Yemen’s pro-Saudi government.

According to UN officials, more than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed in the conflict to date, while more than 11 percent of the country’s total population have been displaced from their homes.