Coronavirus: Yemen facing 'catastrophe' amid humanitarian crisis, experts warn

An outbreak of the virus could infect 93 per cent of the country's population and cause more deaths than five years of conflict

Authorities in Yemen reported the first known coronavirus infection in the country last week. EPA

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is set to become ‘catastrophic’ when the coronavirus impacts on the war-torn country, experts and intelligence sources have warned.

With Houthi rebels unwilling to keep the current truce and the health system already in crisis, the country could experience even higher fatalities than the estimated 100,000 deaths during its five-year civil war.

So far only one Covid-19 case has been detected but with testing facilities almost non-existent and only a handful of ventilators the few remaining hospitals are likely to be overwhelmed.

“If Covid-19 really gets a grip then it’s going to be catastrophic on the people,” said a British intelligence source. “They already have cholera, locusts and no food. Covid on top of that is going to be an absolute disaster. Yemen has absolutely no adequate health care in place to deal with it.”

A unilateral two-week ceasefire was announced by Riyadh on April 9. But the truce was breached 241 times during a 48-hour period last week, according to the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition fighting to restore Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

“The worrying thing is that the Houthis don’t see it the same way as everyone else and are completely unconnected to the human aspects of what is happening in their country and will carry on fighting regardless,” the intelligence source added.

Farea Al Muslimi, of Chatham House, said Yemen was heading towards a situation that was like “coming out of the desert and into hell”.

The associate fellow at the London-based think tank added: “The Houthis don’t see the urgency in the pandemic and there is an ignorance and indifference in Yemen that is more dangerous than the virus itself.”

He added that the weak health system is suffering further from recent aid cuts. President Trump cut millions in aid over fears of Houthi control of distribution and the economic impact of the current pandemic is affecting Gulf state budgets. Some humanitarian aid projects will have to close by the end of this month.

Doctors in Yemen have been dreading an outbreak of coronavirus, which the United Nations says could infect up to 93 per cent of the population.

The country has already become the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe since the Arab coalition intervened in the civil war to push the Iranian-backed Houthis from Sana’a, the capital. It is estimated that half of all medical centres have been destroyed.

Doctors in Yemen have spoken of their fears over the virus. “There isn't any equipment, not even personal protective equipment for doctors and healthcare workers,” Dr Abdulaziz Qassem told Reuters at the Joumhuriya Hospital in the city of Taiz. “Doctors don't have any protective clothing and we will be the first line of defence in front of corona cases.”

The World Health Organisation has said it has major concerns about how Yemen’s hospitals will cope.

"Ventilation is going to be a huge challenge,” said Michael Ryan, a WHO emergency expert. “It's going to be a major, major challenge, and not just the ventilators but more the technicians to run those ventilators."

The WHO is now urgently providing medical supplies, testing kits, ventilators and training to Yemen's health services.

Xavier Joubert, director of Save the Children in Yemen told the BBC: "This is a moment we all feared because Yemen is critically under-equipped to face this virus.”