NEW YORK CITY: Overcrowded displacement sites in war-torn Yemen are increasing the risk of deadly cholera and measles outbreaks, the UN warned on Monday, as the recent escalation in fighting has driven another 142,000 people from their homes and pushed the country’s fragile health system to the brink. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said civilians “continue to bear the brunt of the escalating hostilities,” citing reports from humanitarian colleagues on the ground. “Casualties are mounting, displacement is growing and the risk of disease outbreaks is increasing,” he told reporters in New York. About 7,800 suspected cases of cholera and more than 22,000 of measles have been reported across Yemen so far this year, Dujarric said. The World Health Organization warns that overcrowding, unsafe water supplies and poor sanitation at displacement sites were driving up the risk of further outbreaks, he added, with cholera alerts already issued at some locations. The figure for recent displacements, compiled by the International Organization for Migration, includes men, women and children forced to flee since fighting began to intensify in August. The strain on healthcare services has forced some hospitals to suspend emergency obstetric care so that they can treat those wounded by the hostilities. Health partners have responded by deploying more than 20 mobile medical teams, activating rapid-response units and delivering nearly 60 tonnes of medical aid. “But life-saving medical supplies are rapidly dwindling and access to many in need remains difficult,” Dujarric said. Nearly $20 million in emergency funding has been mobilized through the Yemen Humanitarian Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide support for newly displaced families and the communities hosting them “but we need more funding, urgently,” he added. “We call on all parties to protect civilians and healthcare, and to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”