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The World Health Organization has suspended its operations in Yemen’s major Houthi-controlled areas to pressure the rebel group to be more open about suspected coronavirus cases.
They include the Yemeni capital of Sana’a and Hodeidah, the country’s main port on the Red Sea.
The Yemeni government reports 51 cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths in the parts of Yemen that it controls.
But the WHO suspects that the Houthis are withholding information about the number of coronaviruses in the places it controls, including the capital and other large cities.
The Houthis report only two cases and one death and deny that he is covering up the true numbers. But the WHO says it is treating Yemen as if there was a complete outbreak of COVID-19.
The WHO also says there are “credible threats and perceived risks” for its staff.
The fight between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed government has created even more misery in Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The United Nations estimates that 80% of the Yemeni population is at risk of starvation.
