COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen
| COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Yemen |
| First outbreak | Wuhan,Hubei,China |
| Index case | Hadhramaut |
| Arrival date | 10 April 2020 (4 years, 3 months and 1 week) |
| Confirmed cases | 11,945[1] |
| Recovered | 9,786[2] |
Deaths | 2,159[1] |
| Fatality rate | 18.07% |
The first confirmed case relating to theCOVID-19 pandemicinYemenwas announced on 10 April 2020 with an occurrence inHadhramaut.[3][4]Organizations called the news a "devastating blow" and a "nightmare scenario" given the country's already dire humanitarian situation.[5]
The country is seen to be extremely vulnerable to the outbreak, given the dire humanitarian situation due to theYemeni Civil War,exacerbated by theongoing famine,cholera outbreaks,andmilitary blockade by Saudi Arabia and its allies.[6][7]The Yemenihealthcare systemhas been "all but decimated" by the war, with many healthcare facilities destroyed byairstrikesand shelling and a lack ofhealthcare workers.Despite the end of the pandemic in the majority of the world, Yemen andSyriastill struggle with the pandemic cause of poverty.[8]
Timeline[edit]
April 2020[edit]
The first case was confirmed on 10 April, the patient was a 60-year-old man in the southern oil-producing region ofHadhramaut.He remains in stable condition. Authorities have since sealed off the port where the man worked and told other employees to self-isolate for two weeks. The neighbouring regions ofShabwahandal-Mahrahsealed their borders with Hadhramaut, where a 12-hour nightly curfew has been imposed.[9]
On 23 April, Hadramout Governor Faraj Salmin Al-Bahsni said in an interview withAl-Arabiyatelevision that the result of the last examination the person had undergone on 22 April after he recovered was negative.[10]
On 29 April,Yemenrecorded five new cases ofcoronavirus,including two deaths, all in thesouthern Yemeniport city ofAden.[11]
Two sources familiar with the matter toldReutersthere has been at least one confirmed case inHouthi-controlledSanaa,but the movement's health ministry denied this and said all suspected cases had tested negative for COVID-19.[12]
May 2020[edit]
On 1 May, Yemen reported its first case in the southwesternGovernorate of Taiz.[13]
On 2 May, three more cases were confirmed, one in Taiz Governorate and two inAden city.The new case inTaizhad been in contact with the southwestern province's first infection.[14]
On 4 May, two new cases were reported inHadhramaut.[15]
On 5 May, the government in the south reported 9 new infections, eight inAden,along with one new death and one case in Hadhramaut. TheHouthisreported their first case, aSomalinational, who was found dead in a hotel inSanaaon 3 May.[16]
On 6 May, Yemen reported its first three cases, including a death inLahij Governorateand another infection in Aden. The emergency coronavirus committee ofYemen's Saudi-backed governmentalso said one COVID-19 patient diagnosed earlier inTaiz provincehad died.[17]
On 8 May, Yemen reported nine new coronavirus cases inAden,the interim headquarters of the government, including one death, and said a second person infected in the southern province ofLahajhad died.[18]
On 9 May, a new case of coronavirus was discovered inSanaa,which was transmitted from Aden,Houthi's health ministry said in a statement.[19]
On 28 May, a statement from theUnited Nationsand its agencies outlined the dire impact COVID-19 had onYemenis.Yemen's embattled health care system is near collapse due to the addition strain from COVID-19. Only half of health facilities are in operation, with most lackingpersonal protective equipment(PPE), oxygen supplies, and clean water. Most health-workers and front-line aid workers are reportedly working without protective equipment and salaries.[20]A press release from theUnited Nation's Children Fund(UNICEF) indicated that another 5 million children had been put out of school due to school closures, adding to the already 2 million children who were out of school prior to the pandemic.[21]
June 2020[edit]
On June 24, the UN humanitarian chief,Mark Lowcockwarned that Yemen will "fall off the cliff" without increased donations. He said that coronavirus was spreading swiftly across Yemen, and roughly a quarter of the country's confirmed cases have died. He warned many more people could die due to starvation, COVID-19, or cholera. Finally, he warned that the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the suffering of Yemenis.[22]
On June 28, theRepublic of Yemen Armed Forcesin Jubb al-Ghar fired multiple bullets from their machine guns atEthiopianmigrants after blaming them for the spread of the disease.[23]
On 29 June, the Yemeni Health Ministry reported 10 new cases of the disease and 304 nationwide deaths from the disease.[24]
July 2020[edit]
On July 14, authorities in territory controlled byHouthi rebelsin Yemen announced an easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, allowing the reopening of restaurants, parks and wedding venues, whilst encouraging the public to maintain a social distance and use hand sanitizer regularly.[25]
Statistics[edit]
Confirmed new cases per day[edit]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info onPhabricatorand onMediaWiki.org. |
Confirmed deaths per day[edit]
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info onPhabricatorand onMediaWiki.org. |
COVID-19 Cases Reported in Yemeni Governorates[edit]
| COVID-19 Cases Reported in Yemeni Governorates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Governorate | Reported Cases | Recoveries | Deaths |
| Total | 8,861 | 5,470 | 1,673 |
| 'Amran | 281 | 218 | 52 |
| Abyan | 49 | 25 | 13 |
| Aden | 1624 | 1207 | 138 |
| Al Bayda | 239 | 120 | 71 |
| Al Hudaydah | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Al Jawf | – | 0 | 0 |
| Al Mahrah | 38 | 21 | 10 |
| Al Mahwit | – | 0 | 0 |
| Amanat Al Asimah | 871 | 412 | 280 |
| Dhale | 60 | 27 | 15 |
| Dhamar | – | 0 | 0 |
| Hadramaut | 51 | 4 | 15 |
| Hajjah | – | 0 | 0 |
| Ibb | – | 0 | 0 |
| Lahij | 128 | 80 | 38 |
| Ma'rib | 411 | 142 | 49 |
| Raymah | – | 0 | 0 |
| Sa'dah | – | 0 | 0 |
| Sanaa | – | 0 | 0 |
| Shabwah | 139 | 93 | 37 |
| Socotra | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| Taiz | 1573 | 915 | 247[26] |
Prevention[edit]
As a response to the growing threat, theHouthisdeclared the suspension ofinternational flightson 15 March.[27]Yemeni officials also stepped up to battle against the threat from the coronavirus.[28]
After urging from theUnited Nationsto pursue peace talks,[29]theSaudi-led coalitionin thecivil warcalled a unilateral ceasefire beginning 9 April at noon, to support efforts to stop the virus's spread.[30]
After the second case inTaiz Governoratewas announced, the governor of Taiz announced on 2 May that he was closing the province's borders for two weeks, with the exception of supplies of food and other essential goods, in order to prevent the virus from spreading.[14]
On 28 May, the United Nations and 16 other international humanitarian partners launched an emergency appeal to find US$2.41 Billion to fightCOVID-19in Yemen. Although only 10 of the nation's 22 governorates have reported confirmed cases at this time, a statement from the international humanitarian community indicated that the virus had already impacted most areas of the country. 30 of the 41 major UN Programs in Yemen are at risk of running out of money in the next few weeks if additional funding cannot be found.[20]
Vaccination[edit]
On March 31, 2021, Yemen received the first batch of 360,000 coronavirus vaccine doses, a part of 1.9 million doses.[31]Statistics released by the WHO in August 2022 showed that Yemen had administered just 864,544COVID-19vaccines so far, making it one of the lowestCOVID-19vaccination rates in the world.[32]
References[edit]
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