Yemen’s gov’t declares Aden “endemic area” due to spread of diseases

emen’s local health authorities on Monday declared the southern port city of Aden as an “endemic area” following coronavirus spread and mosquito-borne diseases among the city’s citizens.

The supreme national emergency committee made the decision following a meeting chaired by the country’s Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik.

Late on Sunday night, the Aden-based health authorities announced recording 17 new coronavirus cases and one death, bringing the total number of infected cases in the government-controlled areas to 51 with eight deaths.

The pro-government Yemeni committee called on donors and relevant international humanitarian organizations to provide urgent support to help in containing the pandemic.

It said also that “the administrative and political situation in Aden obstruct any efforts to confront coronavirus and this should be rectified so relevant institutions can carry out their duties.”

Meanwhile, an official of Aden’s local government told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that mosquito-borne diseases including chikungunya and dengue fever infected nearly 3,500 of Aden’s local citizens.

He said “the mosquito-borne diseases are recording daily deaths in different neighborhoods of Aden much higher than coronavirus.”

“More than 73 people lost their lives due to the mosquito-borne diseases since the flooding struck Aden last month,” he said.

One of the Aden citizens named as Khaled Jabal said that “two of my brothers diagnosed with dengue fever and chikungunya but due to inadequate medical treatment they died last week.”

Many private hospitals and laboratories in Aden remain shut down due to lack of medicines and necessary protective equipment for their medical staff to fight coronavirus.

On May 2, the World Health Organization said Yemen’s fragile health system is facing catastrophic shortages after five years of war, while COVID-19 supplies in the country are grossly insufficient.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country’s north and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. Enditem