Houthi ministers succumb to Covid-19 as virus ravages northern Yemen

Yemen expected to receive 2.3 million vaccine doses by the end of March

People arrange a grave after a burial at a cemetery where victims of the coronavirus disease are buried in Taiz, Yemen. Reuters

Houthi ministers are among thousands of people infected with Covid-19, as a new surge of the virus hits northern Yemen, The National learnt.

Snce the beginning of March, areas under the control of Iran-backed Houthi militias in northern Yemen were particularly badly hit.

Last week, Houthi authorities announced that the minister of transport, Zakaria Al Shami, died as a result of the disease.

A medical source who works in a major public hospital told The National that Al Shami died after suffering Covid-19 complications.

"Zakaria Al Shami died in the isolation centre in Sanaa days after contracting the disease, along with all his family members" the source said.

"All the minister's family members are still in hospital for treatment.”

Al Shami was assistant to the Yemen army's chief of staff before he defected to the Houthis in 2014.

He is fourth on a list of senior Houthi officials wanted by the Arab Coalition.

The medical source told The National that pro-Houthi Prime Minister AbdulAziz bin Habtor and his family also contracted the virus and were admitted to hospital.

Bin Habtor appeared on the Houthi-owned TV channel Al Masirah TV on Sunday, speaking to a reporter from his hospital bed.

Bin Habtor could be considered lucky to receive treatment. Residents in the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa told The National that the situation in the city was horrific.

"All my family members contracted the virus," a resident in Sanaa said and told The National that they are still suffering from virus-related conditions.

"We share the same symptoms including sore throats, losing our sense of smell and taste sense as well as breathing difficulties," the resident said.

Despite the sudden increase in case numbers, testing and reporting new cases in areas under Houthi control is still very limited.

Houthi authorities are accused of concealing the extent of the Covid-19 crisis at public hospitals.

"Lots of people died at hospitals recently, but doctors never tell the truth as to the reasons behind their deaths,” said the resident, who declined to be named.

The virus has spread among students in Sanaa University and at schools in the city.

"We contracted the infection from my son, who used to go to study at Sanaa University" a woman in Sanaa told The National.

"Before he fell sick, my son told me that he wouldn't go to college because most of his colleagues are sick, then two days later all of us got the same symptoms, sore throats, breathing complications, weakness and losing taste and smell ," the mother said.

No respite ahead

As Houthi-controlled areas appear barely able to contain the pandemic, areas controlled by the official government at least have the chance to begin protecting the most vulnerable citizens. But this will be an uphill struggle.

Yemen is expected to receive 2.3 million vaccine doses by the end of March through the global vaccine sharing scheme Covax, funded by the World Health Organisation. But those deliveries will be staggered.

"A first batch composed of 380 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is supposed to arrive at Aden airport by March 30," the Yemeni government's deputy health minister Dr Eshraq Al Subaie told The National.

"The first batch will be allocated for the medical staff combating the pandemic at the isolation centres and at public hospitals, in addition to elderly people and the most vulnerable ones," Dr Al Subaie said.