Yemen close to giving in to Covid-19

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

The Covid-19 pandemic is claiming many lives in Yemen, following the collapse of the war-torn country’s health system.

The collapse of the system was mainly induced by the terrorism of the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The pandemic is turning into a major challenge across Yemen, but especially in cities controlled by the Houthis.

Infection and death rates are rising, specifically among those who cannot make it to hospitals in their cities.

Yemen’s health system has been facing myriad challenges since the beginning of the war in the country because of the lack of financing for the hospitals and also the siege imposed by the Houthis around the cities where they have presence.

The southwestern city of Taiz is hit hardest by the pandemic. The suffering of the residents of the city has not stopped for six years now. Taiz now has the largest number of Covid-19 patients in Yemen.

According to reports by health organizations, Taiz is moving fast toward collapse because of an acute shortage in medical supplies and financing for the hospitals as a result of the curfew imposed by the Houthis on the city.

Health service workers are warning against the pandemic getting out of control.

The pandemic, they said, is far larger than the abilities of health facilities in the city.

Nevertheless, the Houthis have launched a new wave of threats against humanitarian assistance organizations, vowing to target these organizations in Taiz.

Hospitals in Yemeni capital, Sana’a, are bursting at the seams with patients and have no room for any additional numbers, also because of the practices of the Houthi militia.