Covid-19 undermining terrorism sponsors

Shaimaa Hefzi

The Covid-19 virus is hitting in countries affected by terrorism and the countries sponsoring and bankrolling this terrorism alike. This is why everybody is struggling to keep afloat with dangers from the virus increasing day after day.

Inevitable consequence

Most of the countries bankrolling terrorist organizations will find it difficult to maintain this financial support while they try to narrow the scope of the disease.

Countries like Iran, which sponsors the Houthi group in Yemen and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, and Qatar, which sponsors the Muslim Brotherhood, will find it difficult to maintain support to these groups in the coming days.

Calls

An NGO has managed to collect a million signatures to an appeal to the United Nations to work to bring an end to conflicts around the world, against the background of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The U.S.-based nonprofit, Avaaz, posted the appeal to the internet, after United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for ending conflicts around the world on March 23.

A senior official of the International Red Cross referred to the importance of maintaining the work of humanitarian aid workers, while the Covid-19 pandemic affects more people every day.

Yemen has not reported any virus infections yet. However, there are fears that an outbreak of the disease in Yemen will be unstoppable or manageable.

This is especially true with the health sector in Yemen suffering many problems and lacking the necessary preparedness.

Suggestion

The United Nations suggested a suspension of the conflict in Yemen to the country’s internationally-recognized government, the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The Houthis receive financial and logistical support from Iran which suffers a humanitarian crisis due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus in it.