Around 30 million Yemenis face risk of infectious disease: Minister

Yemen requires urgent medical support due to the extraordinary circumstances. (File/AFP)
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  • The country has a limited number of medical equipment
  • Houthis continue to hide coronavirus related figures and obstruct humanitarian aid

DUBAI: Around 30 million Yemenis face the risk of coronavirus, malaria, dengue fever, cholera, typhoid and Chikungunya, Yemeni state news agency Saba New reported.
The country has a limited number of medical equipment, Minister of Public Health and Population Nasser Ba-aum said during a virtual meeting with Arab health ministers.
Yemen requires urgent medical support, due to the extraordinary circumstances which lead to the spread of various diseases, Ba-aum added.
“The government is working hard to provide medicine and medical equipment… in cooperation with international organizations and a number of regional and international partners,” he said, adding that despite having medical experts, Yemen lacked financial support and equipment,” he said.
Houthis continue to hide coronavirus related figures and obstruct humanitarian aid despite governmental calls for transparency, Ba-aum added.
Earlier this month, the country’s Information Minister Muammar Al-Iryani said Houthis are leaving thousands of Yemeni COVID-19 patients in Sanaa and other areas under their control to die of the disease.
Yemeni citizens who have the virus or are suspected of having it are staying at home out of fear they will be killed in hospital by “lethal injections” administered by Houthis, he added.