When COVID-19 hit Yemen: dealing with the pandemic in a country under pressure from the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

Abstract

A recent history of internal conflict in Yemen has left the country in shambles, with much of its infrastructure and healthcare system destroyed. The UN considers the situation in Yemen to be the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 80% of the population – 24 million people, including 12 million children – dependent on humanitarian aid for basic needs including food and clean water, as well as healthcare. In the aftermath of a devastating civil war, the spread of COVID-19 has hit the country hard, exacerbating an already dire situation in which the Yemeni people face daily challenges from food insecurity, lack of sanitation infrastructure, continuing conflict and outbreaks of infectious disease. A cholera outbreak, ongoing since 2016, has claimed nearly 1.5 million lives. The situation is made worse by a lack of medical equipment and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. With only 50% of Yemeni hospitals and medical facilities in full working condition, the country is in desperate need of medical equipment, healthcare workers and money to ensure conditions do not deteriorate further in the coming months.

Keywords

• Yemen, COVID-19, Cholera, War, Humanitarian Crisis