Houthi coronavirus cover-up has everyone on the verge of catastrophe

RIYADH-SABA
Yemen government officials said the Houthi cover-up on figures of coronavirus infections in the rebel militia-controlled areas has everyone in Yemen on the verge of catastrophe.

In a press conference held by the Minister of Local Administration Abduraqib Fatah and Health Minister Nasser Baoom in Riyadh on Sunday, Fatah said, “Reports indicate high figures of infections with coronavirus in the Houthi-held areas and the black-out on such information is unacceptable at all.”

Fatah has called on the WHO to unveil the figures they have since “colluding with Houthis in the cover-up means a participation in their crime.”

He also called on the international community to “force the militia to unveil infections tally before the pandemic becomes beyond the Yemeni capability to contain it.”

Fatah said the government was transparent from the beginning of the infections and its ad hoc panels on covid-19 announced the infection cases as they were found.

He also praised the Saudi help in this respect, saying “before the outbreak, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center had delivered medical and protective supplies to Yemen and the Kingdom pledged USD 25 million for fighting the (expected) pandemic in Yemen.”