Former chief of the Yemeni Journalism Syndicate (YJS) has warned of his country's authorities' persistently negative way in dealing with pandemics, COVID-19 in particular, and failing to reveal real data.
"Unfortunately, there's no real authority in Yemen that bears responsibility for its nationals," Abdul Bari Tahir told al-Quds al-Arabi. "But there are .. militias infighting over power and binding themselves by regional conflict raging in the Gulf.
"While bearing no responsibility for the people, these warring forces care for levying and punishing the citizens and deny duty to defend the people and their peace and stability."
The Yemeni journalist fears that COVID-19 spreads amid the absence of a responsible authority, with "attention focused on arms and war results, but not on people's sufferings. Still, each party tries to invest in the pandemic at the expense of civilians."
More than 80 percent of Yemen's population suffers starvation, and the war-torn county is plagued by many epidemics like malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, pneumonia and COVID-19.
All these diseases "receive no attention or real responsibility, as all the efforts are channeled to war that aimed only at destruction," Tahir said.
He called warring parties in Yemen to disclose real data on the pandemic and number of infections, since information would help people resist and fight the virus.
Until 23 May, Yemen has officially recorded 215 confirmed infections of COVID-19 across the country, including 40 deaths and 8 recoveries.
