Health Minister: UN and int’l organizations have provided nothing for Yemen to combat coronavirus

Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Taha al-Mutawakkil said on Saturday that the UN and international organizations did not provide anything for Yemen to combat Corona.

Dr. al-Matwakkil referred that the respiratory equipment provided by the organizations was within the TD and other programs.

The Health Minister affirmed that holding oil derivatives vessels by Saudi-led coalition threatens the health sector and undermines efforts to confront the Coronavirus in Yemen.

This came during the consultative meeting held Saturday for discussing the health sector in Dhamar, Rayma, Dhalea and Bayda provinces and announcing the results of the evaluation of public and private medical facilities in the provinces.

During the meeting, the Health Minister explained that the prevention of petroleum products’ entry will lead to the suspension of the intensive care and operations rooms, incubators in the isolation centers and hospitals, and ambulances.

“We are facing a complex crime committed by the aggression coalition that foretells a new humanitarian catastrophe against the Yemeni people in light of the silence of the United Nations,” Dr. al-Mutawakkil said.

“The United Nations has not stopped intimidating Yemenis under the pretext of Corona, but it remains silent on the crime of cutting oil derivatives,” he added.

Dr. al-Mutawakkil confirmed that despite the scarce capabilities, the health sector is working to control COVID-19 by all available means, indicating that the Ministry has ambitious plans to improve the level of performance and services of the health sector, based on self-reliance.

He emphasized the need for a comprehensive correction of the conditions of government and private medical facilities in accordance with medical and health standards, stressing that “any medical facility that does not comply with technical and administrative standards, infection control and waste management will be closed.”