Advertisement

Updated June 3rd, 2020 at 10:58 IST

Guterres: World must help Yemen fight COVID-19

The Secretary-General of the United Nations on Tuesday warned Yemen was in a "race against time" with reports indicating that the death rates from the coronavirus in the country were "among the highest in the world".

| Image:self
Advertisement

The Secretary-General of the United Nations on Tuesday warned Yemen was in a "race against time" with reports indicating that the death rates from the coronavirus in the country were "among the highest in the world".

He spoke at a United Nations appeal for countries to fund emergency aid in Yemen, where more than five years of war have collapsed the country's health care system.

The virtual pledging event raised $1.35 billion - a billion dollars short of what aid agencies needed.

The amount raised is also half of the $2.6 billion that countries pledged at the same conference last year.

It is meant to cover Yemen's needs through the next six months.

Aid agencies say Yemen is in dire need of assistance as the coronavirus threatens to decimate a health care system already ravaged by civil war.

Saudi Arabia, which co-hosted the U.N. pledging event, said it would pay half a billion dollars in aid for Yemen this year, $300 million of which will be funneled to the U.N. and related aid agencies.

It was the largest amount pledged by any country.

Guterres stressed that ending the war is the only way to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. He said death rates from the COVID-19 virus in the southern city of Aden alone are among the highest in the world.

The situation is “catastrophic,” added Mark Lowcock, the U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

Lowcock urged countries to pay their pledges immediately because "Yemen is now on the precipice."

Compounding myriad problems Yemenis face is access to consistent electricity and clean, running water needed for sanitization in the fight against the coronavirus, as well as cholera, which more than 2.3 million people have contracted since 2017.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Advertisement

Published June 3rd, 2020 at 10:57 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo