On 11th May, Yemen reported five new cases of Coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed infections in Yemen to fifty-six. The country’s death toll has reached nine. Whilst these figures appear minor compared to those seen elsewhere, the combination of the virus with ongoing civil war could be “unspeakable”, according to Save the Children’s Mohammed Alsamaa.
Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in 2015, when, on behalf of the international recognised government, a Saudi-led coalition intervened against Houthi insurgents who had aligned with the former president. With Saudi air power, the government expected a rebel defeat in a matter of months. Instead, five years on, there are still more than thirty active front lines and 80% of the population, twenty-four million people, require humanitarian assistance.
With Coronavirus cases rising globally, the United Nations (UN) urged the country’s internationally recognised government, the Saudi-led military coalition that supports it, and the Houthi movement to pursue peace talks. In April a unilateral two-week ceasefire was called.
However, hours later each side accused the other of having launched attacks. With the pandemic continuing to spread, the conflict has left Yemen’s health system in a state of collapse and the country’s future increasingly fragile.
A SHATTERED HEALTH SYSTEM
The country has four labs capable of carrying out Coronavirus testing, and a total of 208 ventilators, with only half of its hospitals currently operational as a result of the civil war. The International Rescue Committee has estimated that the country will need a minimum of 18,000 intensive care beds for Coronavirus patients. Equipment aside, Save the Children has emphasised that it is “more important than ever that the conflict stops” as simply “no-one can go to hospital or a clinic if there’s war going on.”
Since the civil war began, outbreaks of Cholera, Dengue Fever and Malaria in the country have become commonplace. Considering the spread of these diseases, and with testing facilities inadequate, the World Health Organization (WHO) believes Coronavirus transmission in Yemen is likely already full-blown.
The government has accused the Houthi movement of covering up cases in their territory, which it has denied. The government’s Coronavirus committee described Aden, the country’s temporary capital and where the government is based, as “infested.” In addition, recent floods there have accelerated the spread of Coronavirus and other diseases, and movement from the city to other regions now prohibited.
WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
As the spread of infection suggests, Yemen’s health system is only one aspect of the country’s infrastructure that has been destroyed by the war. The country is chronically without electricity, and fuel and sanitation facilities are limited. 50% of the population do not have access to running water. Of the twenty-four million Yemeni people in humanitarian need, ten million are facing famine. Any large-scale outbreak of Coronavirus will likely exacerbate these problems.
Situated close to the Horn of Africa, Yemen has long been a transit point for millions of refugees trying to reach more stable states. The first case declared in a Houthi-controlled area was in Sanaa, where an infected Somali man was found dead in a hotel. Houthi officials said he had been brought to the city by the WHO, a claim they later retracted.
The accusation fuelled the UN’s concerns that refugees in Yemen were being labelled as “transmitters of disease.” In a statement, the UN laid out its concerns that a growing stigma was forcing those displaced to flee to the frontlines or the desert, where aid is even more limited.
LIMITED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Faced with rising hostility, in early May the WHO suspended staff activity in those areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi movement. Whilst the decision was reversed a day later, it is an indication of the precariousness with which international organizations are operating in the country.
The United States has committed $225mn to the emergency Yemen operations of the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Prior to this, the WFP stated that aid to Houthi-held areas was to be halved until there was greater evidence of the group supporting aid deliveries; for example, allowing agencies to operate independently and removing the approvals they required.
Yemen is viewed as strategically and geographically important for two reasons. Firstly, the country sits on the passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, a channel through which millions of barrels of oil pass each day. Secondly, the country’s instability risks worsening wider issues, from tensions spilling over into neighbouring states, to the rise of extremist groups, such as al-Qaeda. The ceasefire, while not universally accepted, has been extended for another month.
Despite this, fighting continues, with The Yemen Data Project reporting hundreds of airstrikes taking place across recent weeks. For war-scarred Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, the prospect of the necessary protections against Coronavirus being implemented is ever more unlikely.
Rebecca is due to begin the GDL in September, having graduated with a BA in History from Durham University. In the intervening years, she worked at a global asset management firm where, alongside her role, she helped lead their charitable efforts in the UK. Following her legal studies, she hopes to pursue a career at the Bar.