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Yemen

Capital: Sanaa; GDP growth (annual %) 2016: -9.8%;

Cholera epidemic reaches half million mark in war-torn Yemen

The total number of suspected cholera cases in war-torn Yemen reached half a million mark since late April, the highest record since the world war II, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

In a press release, WHO as well said nearly 2,000 people died since the outbreak began to spread rapidly at the end of April.

It said the suspected cases of the deadly waterborne disease continue to rage across the Arab country, infecting an estimated 5000 people per day.

The spread of cholera has slowed significantly in some areas compared to peak levels but the disease is still spreading fast in additional recently affected districts, which are recording large numbers of the cases, said WHO.
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Yemen's central bank floats exchange rate amid deepening crisis

The Central Bank of Yemen has decided to float its currency, starting at the price of 250 Yemeni rials to 1 U.S. dollar, down from 215 rials next additional than two years of civil war.

In a statement to commercial banks, the Central Bank said as of Tuesday, the currency policy will be based on a floating exchange rate rather than the previous fixed rate.
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Iran Revolutionary Guards find new route to arm Yemen rebels

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have started using a new route across the Gulf to funnel covert arms shipments to their Houthi allies in Yemen's civil war, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

In March, regional and Western sources told Reuters that Iran was shipping weapons and military advisers to the Houthis either due to Yemen or via Somalia. This route however risked contact with international naval vessels on patrol in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

For the last six months the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has begun using waters further up the Gulf between Kuwait and Iran as it looks for new ways to beat an embargo on arms shipments to fellow Shi'ites in the Houthi movement, Western and Iranian sources say.
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Key Facts: Full name: Republic of Yemen
Population: 24.3 million (UN, 2010)
Area: 536,869 sq km (207,286 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 65 years (men), 68 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Yemeni riyal = 100 fils
Main exports: Crude oil, cotton, coffee, fish
GNI per capita: US $1,070 (World Bank, 2009)
Internet domain: .ye
International dialling code: 967

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Climate change laws around the world
2017/05/14
There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.

The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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