Yemen government declares Aden as coronavirus ‘infested’ city

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government announced yesterday that the southern port-city of Aden has become “infested” following an increase in the spread of COVID-19 amid clashes between separatists supported by the UAE against militias fighting on behalf of exiled Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Recent flooding in the province had also contributed to the spread, with diseases already rife in the region. Movement from the Aden province to other regions had also been restricted.

According to Hadi’s officials, as of yesterday there were five new reported cases of the virus, with one death in the Hadramut province, bringing the total death toll in areas under the Saudi-backed government’s control to nine. On Sunday ten new cases were reported in Aden.

READ: Yemen ends school year early due to coronavirus outbreak

The Houthi-led government which controls most of the north and the country’s capital and most densely populated areas have so far reported two cases and one death linked to COVID-19, although the internationally-recognised government believes the figures are higher.

In March, Mohamed Al-Houthi, a member of the Sanaa-based Supreme Political Council held the US-backed, Saudi-led coalition responsible for the proliferation of the coronavirus in Yemen.

“In areas they occupy, the coalition countries deliberately avoid taking any precautionary or emergency measures… as if there is no pandemic invading the globe called coronavirus,” he said.

“We hold the American aggression and its allies accountable for any case in Yemen, since they control skies and sea and land ports.”

The Houthi-led National Salvation Government also accused the Saudis of airdropping face-masks infected with the coronavirus and issued an official directive warning citizens against using them.

READ: WHO lifts restrictions on staff activity in Houthi-held areas in Yemen