Sanaa, Jun 20 (IANS): Cholera has claimed over 1,146 lives since April 27 in the war-torn Yemen, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"Since the beginning of the outbreak, 166,976 suspected cases and 1,146 deaths have been reported from 20 of the country's 23 governorates," the WHO said.

Last month, the WHO said the number of suspected cases could reach 300,000 in the next six months.

The organisation warned that the healthcare system in Yemen is on the verge of collapse as many hospitals have shut down because of the ongoing conflict. It said only 45 per cent of them are still operational and they are facing a shortage of supplies and staff.

Two-thirds of the total population, around 19 million, need humanitarian and protection aid.

About 10.3 million people are close to famine and 14.5 million lack access to safe drinking water.

The war has so far killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two million others, according to humanitarian agencies.