Houthi terrorism increases fear of corona among Yemenis

Sherif Abdel Zahir

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani announced through Twitter on Sunday, March 15 that there are increased fears of an outbreak of the corona virus in areas under the control of the terrorist Houthi militia. He stressed that the militia’s continuous targeting of hospitals and residential neighborhoods in Taiz reveals that the group is deliberately harming the health services infrastructure and causing the largest number of civilian casualties in light of the siege imposed on the city for five years and the difficult living conditions for citizens.

The terrorist militia has exploited hospitals for its benefit, turning them into military sites, as well as using them for organ trafficking, which has led to the outbreak of diseases among Yemenis. In late August 2019, the Houthis bombed medical facilities with heavy artillery and tanks in the city of Hodeidah. A field military source stated that the militia bombed the downtown hospital in Hodeidah on May 22, 2019.

In September 2019, patients and workers at government and private hospitals told Asharq Al-Awsat about violations committed by the terrorist militia, which has no regard for the hospitals or patients.

The Houthis have imposed a complete blockade of the medical facilities and hospitals in the capital, Sanaa, while fears have escalated over the possibility of the corona virus spreading among civilians, according to the Yemeni Ministry of Health.

Minister Iryani demanded that the international community, the United Nations, the Security Council and international organizations consider the bombing of hospitals a crime against humanity.

Suffering medical sector

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the terrorist militia enacts arbitrary measures against pharmacy owners and the private medical sector, as nearly 200 companies and institutions related to pharmaceuticals and health supplies have been subjected to harassment by the Houthis, while about 50% of pharmacists lost their jobs. Investment activity has stopped, especially in the field of pharmaceutical manufacture and import. The militia is also cracking down on international relief organizations and looting medical and health aid.

Preventative measures

At a time when there are increasing fears of the emerging corona virus that has swept the world, and despite the government’s announcement that the country is free from any cases of infection, Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik stressed the need to take all necessary measures to face this challenge in a broader manner to ensure an effective response with preventive measures.

On Saturday, March 14, the Yemeni government announced that it has taken a series of measures to prevent the outbreak of the corona virus, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, and other related organizations, to ensure the safety of those arriving at various ports.

The government has decided to suspend virtually all flights to and from Yemeni airports under its control for a period of two weeks, starting from Wednesday, March 18, with the exception of flights intended for humanitarian purposes.

The main airports controlled by the Abdulmalik government are in Aden, Seiyun, and Mukalla.