War is hindering Yemen's attempts to prepare for confronting Corona: NRC

[24/March/2020]

SANAA, March 24 (Saba) - The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that millions of Yemenis are at risk of contracting the Coronavirus if it is spread in the country under a dilapidated health system.

"Although there have been no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Yemen so far, the NRC is extremely concerned about the possibility of an outbreak of the virus, which could have catastrophic consequences for the displaced families," the Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement indicated that five years of war have damaged and destroyed thousands of hospitals, and led to the collapse of water and sanitation systems.

Yemen suffers mainly from the spread of other diseases, including cholera, which is likely to be renewed by the high number of cases of infection with the beginning of the rainy season, according to the statement.

"We are very concerned about any emergency added to what is in Yemen," said Mohammed Abdi, director of the NRC in Yemen.

"The possibility of corona virus access will have severe consequences for the stressful health system and the most vulnerable population groups," Abdi added.

He pointed out that five years of war have paralyzed Yemen's ability to contain any outbreak of disease and is now in a race against time to prepare for this.

BA