... Coronavirus verbreitet sich weiter, eine Katastrophe zeichnet sich ab – und mehr
May 22, 2020: Staying at home means starving to death – Yemen’s two monetary systems – Battle for Yemen’s South – Oil price collapse and Saudi arms spending – Coronavirus is spreading, a catastrophe begins to unfold – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Kursiv: Siehe Teil 2 / In Italics: Look in part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-653b-yemen-war-mosaic-653b
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavitrus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
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**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Ältere einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Older introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B H)
Staying home means starving to death for millions displaced in Yemen
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequalities around the world, with low-income workers from Bogota to London this week risking their health by returning to work in countries easing lockdowns, while wealthier people stay home.
In impoverished Yemen, where the pandemic is now taking hold, millions of displaced people face an even bleaker choice: head out and risk infection or stay home and go hungry.
The arrival of the pandemic in Yemen in April - 184 cases have been confirmed - added to afflictions already facing the Arab World’s poorest nation including widespread hunger and a major cholera outbreak.
68 out of 174 patients admitted to a COVID-19 treatment centre in Aden have died, Medicins Sans Frontieres said on Thursday, warning that people perishing from the disease are much younger than in Europe: mostly men between 40 and 60 years old.
Yemen’s government has advised people to only venture out for necessities but there is little authorities can do to impose restrictions in the war-torn country, said Tamuna Sabadze, Yemen country director at the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
“Each day Yemenis spend at home — each day the market is closed — they will be losing their income,” she said. “If they don’t have work they have to beg.”
‘OVERCROWDED CAMPS’
Saboot was working as a day-labourer breaking stones on construction sites when he was forced to flee intense fighting in Taiz between forces loyal to exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebel movement in 2017.
His relief at having found safety for his family was tempered by his struggle to find work.
Now he is worried the new coronavirus could ravage the hillside camp where he and several hundred families share toilets and live in tents built of wood and tarp.
“It’s overcrowded... the disease will spread in a dramatic way,” he said.
Telecom companies are raising awareness about hygiene among Yemen’s displaced through text messages.
Community volunteers advise families in camps to frequently wash their hands but it’s a struggle for many who rarely have soap or sanitizer.
The IRC and other humanitarian groups are trying to establish “green zone” areas within displaced person camps to isolate high-risk groups like the elderly and pregnant women from other residents.
“That requires the community themselves to be willing - that they understand the benefits of this strategy because you cannot force people to separate the elderly from their families,” said Sabadze.
In the same Taiz camp, 30-year-old mother-of-six Nawal Ghalib gave birth recently and is worried about getting infected.
“The (visiting awareness) team told me that I’m more vulnerable to corona than anyone else,” Ghalib said.
About 6 million women and girls of childbearing age in Yemen are in need of support and more than a million pregnant and lactating women are malnourished, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
(** B E P)
One country, two monetary systems
Yemen uses the Yemeni rial as a unit of account. As one of the poorest countries in the world, Yemen still relies mostly on banknotes to make transactions, which are issued by the Central Bank of Yemen, or CBY.
One of the convenient features of banknotes is their fungibility. This means that one banknote is perfectly interchangeable with another. For a few months now, something strange has happened to Yemen's banknotes. Old rials and new rials have ceased to be fungible. Any rial note that was printed prior to 2016 is now worth around 10% more than newer rial notes.
More generally, the entire Yemeni monetary system has split on the basis of banknote age. From a Western perspective, it would be as if every single U.S. banknote issued with a Steve Mnuchin signature on it, the current Treasury Secretary, were worth 10% less than bills signed five years ago by his predecessor Jack Lew.
Conflicts are always complicated. What follows is a short but drastically simplified explanation of how Yemen's banknote problem began.
The Central Bank of Yemen has always been located in the capital, Sana'a. It tried to be a neutral party between the two warring sides. This sounds like it must have been a very awkward role to play.
For instance, before the war started the central bank was responsible for paying government salaries, including the army. When the war kicked off some soldiers supported the rebels in the north while others joined the internationally-recognized government in the south. According to Mansour Rageh & coauthors, this meant that the central bank was simultaneously paying the salaries of both sides of the conflict. That's touchy.
This balancing act eventually broke down in 2016 when the internationally-recognized government forced the central bank to move to Aden. Rageh et al explain how this happened. In short, the government convinced the international community to block the Sana'a branch's access to foreign reserves. It also prevented the branch from getting new banknotes printed.
So by late 2016 we've got two different branches of the central bank, one controlled by the rebels and the other by the internationally-recognized government. The latter controls most monetary functions.
With the stage set, we can now start to get into the meat of why old rial notes are worth more than new ones. After the Aden branch of the CBY had established itself in 2016, one of the first things it did was order a bunch of new banknotes to be printed up by Russian note printer Goznak. These arrived in Aden in early 2017. They looked like this:
The rebels were not happy with the new notes. It's easy to guess why. Fresh money could be used to pay government fighters, not rebel fighters. This "blood money" would then cheekily flow north via trade. Since anyone who holds a banknote is by definition funding the government that issues it with a no-interest loan, the rebel north was financing its own enemies. (The technical term for this sort of financing is seigniorage).
In 2017, the rebels began to limit the ability of northern civilians to use the newly issued banknotes. This mostly affected banks and other large businesses in the northern Yemen, which were now required to avoid dealing in the new notes. Anthony Biswell of the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies has a much weightier explanation of this transition. Do read his article if you want to learn more about this topic.
Anyways, on December 18, 2019 the rial spat crescendoed into a full out ban. The rebel government announced that everyone in the north had thirty days to turn over new notes at any of 300 agents located across the region. In return they would get an equivalent amount of old banknotes, if available, up to 100,000 rials per person. That's around US$170.
Anything above this 100,000 rial limit would have to be converted into a digital rials. These would be supplied by one of three privately provided electronic wallets. Unfortunately, Yemen has almost no digital payments infrastructure, so these balances wouldn't be of much use.
Thanks to the December 2019 ban, the price of old and new rial banknotes has completely diverged. Below is a chart from the World Bank.
We can surmise why a big gap has developed between the two types of notes. The stock of old pre-2016 banknotes is fixed. It can't grow. But the supply of new banknotes is not fixed. The Aden branch of the CBY can get Goznik to print as many notes as it wants. So the rare rials, the old ones, are worth more.
I'd expect Gresham's law to kick in, too. Gresham's law says that if a government stipulates that two payment instruments are to circulate at the same rate, but one is worth fundamentally more than the other, then the "bad" one drives out the "good". More specifically, the undervalued money will be hoarded (or exported), leaving only the overvalued one in circulation.
In Aden's case this is likely to translate into "bad" rials (the post-2016 ones) driving "good" rials (the pre-2016 notes) out of circulation. Since the Aden government treats both old and new banknotes as interchangeable, but old ones are worth more, the old ones will all be exported to the north.
Where might all this lead? With the Sana'a branch having declared war on new notes, the Aden branch may do the opposite and try to hurt the old ones. This would involve orphaning all of its pre-2016 banknotes. That is to say, the Aden branch will demonetize them; cease accepting old notes as its liability or obligation.
But even if they were to be demonetized, orphaned rials would still circulate.
If the Aden government is going to disown old Yemeni rials, I wouldn't expect them to remain orphaned for long. The Sana'a branch of the Central Bank of Yemen would quickly adopt them as their own obligation. At which point Yemen's unofficial two-currency system would become official. The Sana'a branch might even try to get its own version of the rial printed up. If so, it would have to rely on printers other than Goznak.
Yemenis already face so many difficulties. The sudden emergence of a dual-currency regime only compounds their plight. Prices are a language. We become fluent in this language as we engage in our commercial habits of buying, selling, and appraising. The sudden rial split forces Yemenis to start "speaking" in two different price arrays (three if the U.S. dollar is included). It's terribly inconvenient.
There are also costs to renegotiating rial-denominated debts. If one Yemeni owes the other, are they to pay in old rials or new ones? Debtors will always prefer the debased currency, new rials, but creditors will ask for the stronger one, old rials. Somehow a decision will have to be made.
Finally, a dual currency regime means that Yemenis will be forced to convert from one type of currency to another to make payments. That means incurring fees, hassles, and waiting time.
In the west, we take fungibility for granted. To achieve monetary standardization, a big investment in technology and coordination is required. The fact that a dollar is worth the same in Los Angeles as it is in New York, or Vancouver as it is in Halifax, is worth celebrating – by J. P. Koning
http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/2020/05/one-country-two-monetary-systems.html
Photo: This is our bank notes, notes we use to buy stuff in north Yemen. This is what we have to deal with for years now. I think #Covid19 is cleaner than those notes!!!
https://twitter.com/HanaalShowafi/status/1263178354666209280
(** B K P)
A house divided: The battle for Yemen's south
The recent declaration of self-rule by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen's south, and its decision to stop cooperation with the Yemeni government, risk renewed conflict between two nominal allies of the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels in the north.
The decision by the separatists thus represents a serious blow to Saudi efforts to consolidate its coalition, as well as to the UN-designed plan for a nationwide ceasefire as part of preventive measures taken to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reasons for 'self-rule'
The STC has been demanding greater autonomy, a greater role in peace talks and inclusion in political negotiations. It has also accused the Saudi-backed Hadi government of corruption and mismanagement of the country's finances, with reports the government has been refusing to pay salaries to public sector officials.
Susanne Dahlgren, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and lecturer at Finland-based Tampere University, sees the STC's decision as a logical move resulting from the Hadi government's lack of interest in implementing the Riyadh Agreement and a response to the actions of the Vice President Ali Muhsin and his Islah fighters' military attacks to conquer southern territories.
Anne-Linda Amira Augustin, a political advisor to the Foreign Representation of the STC at the European Union, explained that the STC declared a state of emergency and self-administration to protect civilians and restore and manage state facilities and institutions.
However, Gerald Feierstein, Senior Vice President of the Middle East Institute and former US ambassador to Yemen, pointed out that the STC was heavily criticised by many residents of Aden for their failure to deal adequately with the consequences of the heavy flooding.
In his view "the announcement may have been intended, at least in part, to shift attention away from their own shortcomings and refocus it on the Hadi government."
The STC leadership may also believe that "increasing their distance from the Hadi government will strengthen their ability to secure a separate seat at the negotiating table should the UN succeed in restarting peace talks to end the conflict," he told The New Arab.
Divided south
Meanwhile, officials in three southern provinces - Shabwa, Hadhramaut and Socotra - rejected the self-rule declaration, which may suggest that the STC does not enjoy full support among all southerners. Feierstein observes that the south is divided and the STC does not enjoy strong support in the southeast, especially in Hadramawt region and Al-Mahra
According to him, these governorates have been clear that they do not support the STC proposal of re-establishing pre-1990 South Yemen. However, Dahlgren noted that governors of these governates were nominated by Hadi, so their objection to STC "self-rule" should not come as a surprise.
Moreover, the STC, according to Augustin, received positive responses coming from different tribes, civil society actors but also from other southern stakeholders outside the STC, including those from Shabwa and Hadramaut, whose residents publicly expressed their support to the STC on the streets.
Although a full-scale conflict is not very likely at the moment, such a possibility - as a redux of the events of the 1967 independence struggle - should not be ruled out, according to Dahlgren's research paper.
Feierstein also does not believe that a resumption of an all-out conflict will take place between the STC and Hadi's government while the conflict continues with the Houthis, although low-level fighting continues.
Fate of the Riyadh Agreement
The ongoing tensions between the STC and Hadi's government greatly jeopardise the fate of the Riyadh power-sharing agreement from last November, which aimed to prevent civil war in the South by forming a more inclusive government and placing all forces under state control.
What comes next?
It is important to clarify that the STC declared self-administration and not independence, despite its secessionist agenda. Dahlgren explained that the STC took over supervising administration on the "national" level (the southern governorates), cooperating on the governorate with the current administration.
The complexity of Yemen's problems and a lack of progress in responding to the crisis also indicate that any meaningful solution requires a decisive engagement and a big push from international actors such as the UN and others – by Stasa Salacanin
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/21/a-house-divided-the-battle-for-yemens-south
and
(** B K P)
The Battle for South Yemen
Yemen’s war has always had many sides. It may now be the case that the fight for the future of the country has begun between forces that want militarily either to occupy or liberate South Yemen.
The August fighting signaled the growing capacity and desire over the past year among many southerners, led by the STC, to move toward independence. In early 2019, for example, Hadi was forced to hold a meeting of the Yemeni parliament in Sayun, a prominent town in Wadi Hadhramaut, after pro-independence Adenis refused to host the “occupying force” as they called the Yemeni parliament. While Hadi resides in Riyadh under Saudi patronage, his coalition inside Yemen suffers from internal divisions that go far beyond just the conflict with southern forces. Hadi’s own party, the General People’s Congress, is fractured into Houthi-allied and Hadi-allied camps. The Hadi-camp is allied with the Yemeni Reform Congregation (known as Islah), of which Vice President Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar is a member. Islah, however, has made its own advances in the governorates of Marib and Ta’iz—the former an oil-rich region and the latter Yemen’s largest city and key agricultural area. Hadi’s own government has been ousted from Marib, even as the area remains controlled by its ally, Islah.
Hadi’s problem, despite the Riyadh Agreement, is that southerners and their Emirati partners-in-war both view Islah as not only representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen—which they oppose—but also as working with jihadist groups such as Al-Qaida. While Islah and southerners both recognize Hadi as Yemen’s legitimate president, southerners have opposed the presence of Hadi’s government or troops in the South since the start of the war. The August fighting only strengthened southern resolve to begin their bid for liberation. The Riyadh Agreement seeks to undo the crack in the Saudi-Emirati coalition by bringing Southerners back into the coalition against the Houthis but it may also be the case that the fight for the future of the country has begun between forces that want militarily either to occupy or liberate South Yemen in a repeat of the 1967 independence struggle in which former partners turned against each other.
From South Arabia to South Yemen and Back Again
The southern coalition’s ousting of Hadi’s forces in August 2019 marked a culmination of North-South tensions that in 1994 had escalated into a civil war.
The Troubled Coalition
Hadi and the southerners have been uneasy partners in fighting the Houthi militia. The first major conflict took place in 2017 over control of Aden airport. In late 2018, the STC pressured Hadi to remove his prime minister, whom it accused of embezzling public funds. The events of August 2019 compelled southerners again to call for the resignation of the government after the terror strikes in Aden and Shabwa killed dozens, including the beloved Southern military commander, Brig. Gen. Munir al-Maslahi (aka Abu Yamama) at a military graduation ceremony on August 1. While the Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike, the STC brought evidence that the missile attack that killed Abu Yamama had been orchestrated by forces aligned with Hadi. The STC accused Islah of facilitating the attack and demanded that Hadi sever contact with the party.
Other tensions in the Hadi coalition against the Houthis emerge from the diverse objectives of the foreign coalition members.
While Hadi luxuriates in Riyadh, inside Yemen Vice President Ali Muhsin has exploited the loyalty of Islah’s militias and other army troops to promote his personal agenda. Ever the opportunist, Ali Muhsin switched sides during the 2011 uprising from being Salih’s right-hand-man to supporting the uprising, a move most protesters saw as self-serving. In 2014 he advanced himself as a candidate (as did many others) to replace Hadi; the broad power struggle at that time set the stage for the ensuing civil war and Saudi military intervention in 2015.
The new accusation that Ali Muhsin was behind the August strikes on STC-forces echoes what most Yemenis long believed about Salih—that he was using an alliance with Islamists to promote his personal interests and power.
Southerners vs. Islah
The STC leadership viewed the August attacks in Aden and Shabwa as a campaign to prevent southern control of expanded territories.
The August 2019 campaign to evict Hadi’s troops—declared as an effort to cleanse the South of terrorists—was led by STC vice-president Hani bin Breik, a former salafi preacher who had studied in the Dar al-Hadith salafi institute in the Houthi heartlands of Saada. Bin Breik now poses as a reformed puritanist, posting photos of bare-headed young women on his Twitter account as part of an STC media campaign. The visible role given to men of religion such as bin Breik in STC’s local and national bodies illustrates southerners’ sensitivity to defamation campaigns from religious conservatives with fatwas and media entries charging that southerners are not good Muslims.
The competition for power in Yemen is now largely between the Houthis, Islah and the STC. But elder Adeni residents recall Islah’s rule over the city in the 1990s as one of the most troublesome eras of its history.
Whether the STC has evidence of Ali Muhsin’s role in masterminding the August attacks remains unclear, but his military advance was supported by terrorist attacks attributed to al-Qaeda and IS. The STC used the slogan, “against the terrorist elements of the legitimate government,” to rid the South of forces that manipulate Islamic rhetoric in politics that have been so detrimental in their history.
Avoiding a 1967 Redux
For the half-million protesters who flocked from across the South to the August victory rally in Aden, the taking of the symbolic capital of the independence movement was a major step on the road to re-establishing a sovereign southern state. But while the rally demonstrated the popularity of the STC, not all southerners view the group positively. Some are concerned about its close alliance with the Emiratis, while others are appalled by the violent practices of the Security Belt Forces.
The reality is that the Houthis have consolidated their rule in large areas of the northern highlands, and Hadi’s forces—with Saudi and US military support—have been unable to evict them by force after more than four years of trying. It is time to take a fresh look on the ground and develop a new framework for a sustainable and legitimate peace in Yemen. As for southern independence, the time may not be right given the political work that remains to be done. But the Riyadh Agreement gives the southern cause the voice it deserves on both the regional and international platforms – by Susanne Dahlgren
https://merip.org/2019/12/the-battle-for-south-yemen/
(** B K P)
’The End of an Era’: Oil Price Collapse May Force Saudis to Rein in Arms Spending
The world’s fifth largest military equipment buyer is eating up its reserves - and its political clout
Saudi Arabia may be forced to forego new weapons contracts and delay already-agreed weapons purchases as a financial crisis grips the kingdom, experts predict.
The expected delay of new weapons deals could have long-term political repercussions for the country under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler who has waged a bloody war with neighbouring Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is facing an unprecedented budget crunch because of the collapse of the oil markets and the global economic turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has reduced oil demand for the foreseeable future.
“I have no doubt, this is the end of an era. The era of the Persian Gulf having all this money is over,” said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at Brookings in Washington and 30-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, who has served as an adviser on Middle East issues to several US administrations.
Saudi Arabia spent about $62bn (£51bn) in military expenditures last year.
For decades, this spending has bolstered the country’s political clout.
“If Saudi Arabia wasn’t by far one of the largest buyer of weapons you probably couldn’t count on the uncritical support of powerful western powers. One of the outcomes of purchasing weapons is that you’re buying relationships,” said Andrew Feinstein, an expert on corruption and the global arms trade.
In the US, Donald Trump has in the past pointed to Saudi’s proposed weapons purchases – and inflated estimates about its impact on US jobs – to justify his administration’s soft response to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist.
Britain sells more arms to Saudi Arabia than to any other countr
But Riedel and others believe the Saudi government will have little choice but to delay military spending, in some cases permanently.
Andrew Smith, at the Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: “I expect that they may in the short term put off committing to some larger purchases, like a new set of fighter jets, for example, which Britain has been negotiating for quite some time.”
Another expert, Gerald Feierstein, a former US ambassador to Yemen, said it would be easy for the Saudis to delay or cancel new weapons contracts, but that the Saudi government would likely have to continue maintenance contracts to keep its current force operable. Feierstein said Saudi Arabia has in the past sought to renegotiate payment schedules for weapons, stretching out payments over long periods of time.
Prince Mohammed does not only have the financial crisis to worry about. In the US, he is facing the prospect of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, winning in November.
“I do think that the [financial crisis] is going to affect all their spending,” said Kirsten Fontenrose, who served as senior director for Gulf affairs at the National Security Council in the Trump administration.
Instead of announcing cuts in spending, Fontenrose suggested, the Saudis could wait for the results of November’s election and – if Biden wins – for the Democrats to force the spending reductions, which they would “pretend to grudgingly accept”.
“That would be a way for them to escape the political repercussions and maintain some of their leverage with the private sector,” she said.
Meanwhile, Riedel said that among the companies likely to be hardest hit is Britain’s BAE Systems,, given the company’s exposure to Saudi Arabia.
“BAE will be hit enormously. There are thousands of BAE employees whose jobs revolve around supporting the Saudi air force in one way or another. Sooner or later they are going to be told ‘we can’t pay your salary anymore,’” he said.
Not every analyst agrees that the Saudis will rein in spending. Kristian Ulrichsen, Middle East fellow at the Baker Institute for public policy, said he believed the Saudis might seek to double down on their investment in defence, despite economic pressure, amid doubts about US commitment to Saudi security – by Stephanie Kirchgaessner und Dan Sabagh
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavirus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics
(* B H)
Ärzte ohne Grenzen warnt vor Covid-19-Katastrophe in Aden
Alarmierend hohe Sterblichkeitsraten im Covid-19-Behandlungszentrum in Aden deuten auf eine größere Katastrophe hin, die sich im Süden des Landes abspielt, warnt die internationale Hilfsorganisation Ärzte ohne Grenzen.
Das Covid-19-Behandlungszentrum, das Ärzte ohne Grenzen in Aden betreibt, ist das einzige im gesamten Südjemen. Vom 30. April bis zum 17. Mai wurden dort 173 Patienten aufgenommen, von denen 68 gestorben sind. Viele kommen bereits in kritischem Zustand an.
“Was wir in unserem Behandlungszentrum sehen, ist nur die Spitze des Eisbergs, was die Zahl der Infizierten und Sterbenden in der Stadt angeht", sagt Caroline Seguin, die Projekte von Ärzte ohne Grenzen im Jemen leitet. "Die Menschen kommen zu spät zu uns, um sie zu retten, und wir wissen, dass viel mehr Menschen überhaupt nicht mehr kommen: Sie sterben einfach zu Hause. Es ist eine herzzerreißende Situation.”
Dass viele Menschen zu Hause sterben, zeigen die Statistiken der Regierung über Bestattungen, aus denen hervorgeht, dass in der vergangenen Woche am Tag 80 Menschen in der Stadt starben, während es vor dem Ausbruch noch zehn am Tag waren. Ein weiterer Hinweis darauf, wie weit sich die Krankheit ausgebreitet hat, ist die Zahl der medizinischen Fachkräfte, die Ärzte ohne Grenzen in der Covid-19-Einrichtung behandelt, und die vielen Erkrankten beim eigenen Personal.
"Die Vereinten Nationen und die Geberstaaten müssen mehr tun, und zwar dringend, nicht nur für Aden, sondern für den gesamten Jemen", sagt Seguin. "Das Gesundheitspersonal muss bezahlt und die für seine Sicherheit notwendige Schutzausrüstung organisiert werden. Das Land braucht dringend mehr Sauerstoffkonzentratoren, um Patienten beim Atmen zu helfen. Die örtlichen Behörden müssen alles in ihrer Macht Stehende tun, um die Arbeit internationaler Organisationen wie Ärzte ohne Grenzen zu erleichtern, indem sie den Zugang zu medizinischem Material und die Einreise von internationalem Personal zur Verstärkung der Teams vor Ort sicherstellen”, fordert Seguin.
https://www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de/presse/jemen-alarmierende-covid-19-situation
(** B H)
Yemen: In Aden’s only COVID-19 treatment centre we are seeing a catastrophe unfold
The number of deaths occurring in the COVID-19 treatment centre that Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) runs in Aden, Yemen, speaks to a wider catastrophe unfolding in the city, the international medical organisation said today. The UN and donor states need to do more urgently to help the response.
The centre that MSF runs in the city is the only dedicated COVID-19 centre for the whole of southern Yemen. From April 30 to May 17 we admitted 173 patients, at least 68 of whom have died. Many patients are arriving at the centre already suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, making it hard to save their lives and suggesting that many more people are sick at home.
That many people are also dying at home is shown by government burial statistics that reveal that as many 80 people have been dying in the city per day in the past week, up from a pre-outbreak normal of 10. Another indication of just how widespread the outbreak has become is the number of healthcare professionals we are treating in the centre and the many members of our own staff that are sick.
“What we are seeing in our treatment centre is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the number of people infected and dying in the city,” said Caroline Seguin, MSF’s operations manager for Yemen. “People are coming to us too late to save, and we know that many more people are not coming at all: they are just dying at home. It is a heart-breaking situation.”
“The United Nations and donor states need to do more and do it urgently, not just for Aden but for the whole of Yemen” said Seguin. “Money to pay healthcare workers must be found and supplies of the personal protective equipment necessary to keep them safe need to be organised.
"The country also badly needs more oxygen concentrators to help sick patients breathe. The local authorities need to do all they can to facilitate the work of international organisations like MSF who are working with them to respond to the virus, ensuring the entry of medical supplies and international staff to reinforce teams on the ground.”
A team of Yemeni and international staff is working around the clock to provide the best treatment they can at the treatment centre in Aden, which MSF has been fully managing since May 7. Like in other places around the world, however, we are witnessing just how deadly this disease can be.
“The high level of mortality we are seeing amongst our patients is equivalent to those of intensive care units in Europe, but the people we see dying are much younger than in France or Italy: mostly men between 40 and 60 years old,” continued Seguin.
Aden was already struggling with a healthcare system that had collapsed after five years of war in Yemen before COVID-19 arrived, and the authorities lack the means to properly respond to the outbreak. There is no money to pay staff, little personal protective equipment, and very few tests, so the exact numbers of cases cannot be known. The patients we see dying clearly have the symptoms of COVID-19, however. Diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya are endemic to the city, but they have never produced so many deaths in such a short amount of time.
“Hospitals have had to close elsewhere in the city or are refusing certain types of patients because staff members lack the personal protective equipment to keep them safe, which leaves us very concerned about the knock-on effects of this outbreak on other types of illnesses,” said Seguin.
MSF’s trauma hospital in Aden is still open, and has seen an increase in the number of admissions since other hospitals started closing. We have instituted triage and other protective measures to keep staff and patients safe at the hospital as much as is possible. Any staff member who begins to show symptoms is immediately sent home to self-isolate.
“We are doing all that we can, but we cannot face this virus alone,” said Seguin “It would be unconscionable for the world to just leave Aden and the rest of Yemen to face this crisis by themselves.”
https://www.msf.org/aden%E2%80%99s-only-covid-19-treatment-centre-we-are-seeing-catastrophe-unfold = https://prezly.msf.org.uk/yemen-in-adens-only-covid-19-treatment-centre-we-are-seeing-a-catastrophe-unfold = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-aden-s-only-covid-19-treatment-centre-we-are-seeing-catastrophe-unfold
and by agencies:
(* B H)
Film (in Arabic): The strongest breathtaking shots of the pandemic Corona virus in all governorates of the Republic of Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LernwH6Dyw8
(B H)
Yemen COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Snapshot - As of 16 May 2020
(* A H)
A local news website quoting medical sources reported on Thursday there are 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases in #Sanaa, including many deaths. The active cases are in Kuwait and Zayed hospitals. The Houthis are threatening families of patients not to speak, it said.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1263442898093301761
referring to https://bawabatii.com/news264977.html
(A H)
13 new Covid-19 infected cases, 3 deaths
Yemen registered on Thursday 13 new cases of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) in four provinces "south" and "southwest" of the country, including three deaths.
"The cases that were registered today were distributed in four governorates, six of which were in Hadramout, including two deaths, five in Shabwa and one death, and two in the governorates of Taiz and Aden."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17325.html
(A H)
U.N. Worker Dies of Coronavirus in War-Torn Yemen as Cases Surge
A United Nations staff member in Yemen died of Covid-19 amid a surge in coronavirus cases, as international agencies warned the pandemic could spiral out of control in one of the world’s most impoverished and war-battered nations.
The local U.N. worker, who was employed by the World Food Program, died earlier this week, officials in the world organization said Thursday
(A H P)
Awqaf Ministry calls for performance of Eid al-Fitr prayer in homes
The Minister of Awqaf in the Yemeni internationally recognized government, Ahmed Atiyah, called Wednesday evening the citizens of his country to perform the blessed Eid al-Fitr prayer in homes, as a precaution against the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Attiyah tweeted: "I hope everyone will not turn the joy of Eid into a funeral season."
"Spacing has become a legal duty today ... pray in your homes and do not meet during Eid prayers, so you will be the cause of the disasters of the spread of the virus."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17322.html
(* B H)
Film: Humanitäre Katastrophe im Jemen
Seit mehr als fünf Jahren tobt im Jemen ein blutiger Bürgerkrieg. Zu Lebensmittelknappheit und Krankheiten wie Cholera kommt jetzt noch die CoV-Pandemie. Bei offiziell nur 184 Fällen geht die WHO jedoch davon aus, dass sich das Virus dort unerkannt ausbreitet.
https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/ZIB-1/1203/ZIB-1/14052619/Humanitaere-Katastrophe-im-Jemen/14700824
(* B H)
Dramatische Ausbreitung des Corona-Virus im Jemen
Das Corona-Virus hat sich im vom Bürgerkrieg geplagten Jemen in den vergangenen Wochen dramatisch ausgebreitet. Obwohl die Regierung und die Houthi-Rebellen offiziell zusammen nur etwa 130 Fälle gemeldet haben, zeichnen Vor-Ort-Berichte ein völlig anderes Bild. In der Stadt Aden wird von über 500 Toten in einer einzigen Woche berichtet – weitaus mehr Todesfälle als sonst üblich. Laut Behörden in Aden zeigten 385 von ihnen Covid-19-Symptome. Auch die Weltgesundheitsorganisation geht inzwischen davon aus, dass sich das Corona-Virus im Jemen unerkannt ausbreitet. Die niedrigen offiziellen Infektionszahlen erklären sich zum einen dadurch, dass bis Mitte Mai in ganz Jemen gerademal 921 Tests durchgeführt wurden. Zum anderen gibt es Berichte, dass die Houthis positiv getestete Fälle verschleiern und medizinisches Personal einschüchtern, damit dieses sich nicht über die Ausbreitung der Krankheit äußert.
Das jemenitische Gesundheitssystem ist infolge des Krieges und gezielter Angriffe auf medizinische Einrichtungen nur noch rudimentär funktionsfähig.
https://www.gruene-bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/standard-titel-29
(* B H)
Jemen: Covid-19 in der schwersten humanitären Krise der Welt
Der Jemen hat offiziell bisher 167 Erkrankungen und 28 Todesfälle durch Covid-19 registriert. Doch es könnten bereits weitaus mehr sein, denn es mangelnd an Testkapazitäten und die medizinische Infrastruktur ist fast komplett zerstört. Nach Angaben der UNO gibt es im Jemen mehr als eintausend Vertriebenenlager, in denen über eine Million Menschen untergebracht sind, von denen die meisten unter desolaten Bedingungen leben.
„COVID-19 kommt im Jemen zu einem mehrjährigen Konflikt, zu Lebensmittelknappheit und zu Krankheiten wie Cholera hinzu“, beschreibt CARE-Länderdirektor Aaron Brent die aktuelle Lage. „Vor dem Hintergrund, dass der Konflikt das jemenitische Gesundheitssystem in Trümmern zurückgelassen hat, ist das eine Katastrophe. Nur die Hälfte der Gesundheitseinrichtungen funktioniert, die medizinischen Geräte sind völlig veraltet.“
Ständige Bedrohung durch Angriffe
Hinzu kommt die ständige Bedrohung durch Angriffe – ein Krankenhaus in Taiz hat in nur zwei Jahren 40 Angriffe erlebt. Millionen Menschen leben im Jemen mit unbehandelten Gesundheitsproblemen wie Diabetes und Herzkrankheiten, können sich keine Medikamente leisten oder zu Kliniken oder Krankenhäusern gelangen.
Schwangere Frauen sind durch das Virus besonders gefährdet
Die UN schätzen, dass mehr als 48.000 Frauen an Komplikationen während der Schwangerschaft und bei der Geburt sterben könnten, da es aufgrund des Virus zu schwerwiegenden Finanzierungsengpässen und Schließungen von Einrichtungen der reproduktiven Gesundheit kommen könnte. Eine Million schwangere und stillende Frauen sind unterernährt, ebenso wie zwei Millionen Kinder unter fünf Jahren. „Wir alle wissen, dass im Kampf gegen COVID-19 die Immunität eine sehr wichtige Rolle spielt. Wenn Menschen unterernährt sind, ist ihre Immunität gegen Krankheiten gering, besonders bei schwangeren und stillenden Frauen. Ihr Körper ist schlichtweg nicht in der Lage, das Virus zu bekämpfen. Die ärmsten Menschen im Jemen sind zum Großteil unterernährt, und das macht sie gleichzeitig anfällig für COVID-19″, sagt CAREs Genderexpertin im Jemen, Suha Mohamed Saeed Basharen.
https://www.care.at/presseaussendungen/jemen-covid-19-in-der-schwersten-humanitaeren-krise-der-welt/
(* B H P)
Yemen coronavirus committee seeks repatriation of Yemenis stranded abroad
Yemen’s National Emergency Committee for Coronavirus has adopted a new framework to repatriate Yemenis stranded abroad.
The new measures – which include coronavirus testing in the countries of departure, home quarantine on arrival and regular testing – come against the backdrop of fears about spreading the disease across borders.
In a statement, the committee said it would consider repatriating those who traveled abroad for health treatment, tourism or work and found themselves stuck once coronavirus restrictions hampered their return. With the assistance of the United Nations and other international organizations, the committee said it would help organize the return of Yemenis through all territories and ports, including Houthi-controlled areas.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/817
and
(A H P)
Stranded Yemenis return two weeks after Eid: Airlines source
The Yemeni nationals stranded abroad following COVID-19 will be only evacuated two weeks after the Fitr Eid, private source at the Yamania Airlines told Debriefer Thursday.
"Among reasons for delayed evacuation is the invalid fuel stagnant at aviation units in some airports, as well as the delayed taking off and landing permissions from coalition authorities monitoring aviation in Yemen," the source added.
The Yemeni internationally-recognized government instructed its transport ministry and Yamania Airlines to airlift the Yemenis stranded in India, Egypt and Jordan, after protective measures are taken at arrival stations.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17332.html
(* A H)
Aden labs run out of reagents as Yemen reports new virus cases
Health facilities in Yemen’s port city of Aden have stopped coronavirus screening tests due to a shortage of reagents in laboratories amid a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
“All PCR machines in the city have stopped testing for coronavirus due to a shortage of the reagents,” a senior government official told Arab News.
Officials say that they consumed their stock of reagents on testing new cases and are currently unable to conduct new tests.
According to them, the shortage of reagents and other vital medical supplies has been caused due to fighting between government troops and separatists in the southern province of Abyan, which has cut off a road that links Aden with Hadramout.
On Tuesday, a shipment of hundreds of testing reagents was sent to Aden from Hadramout province that will likely solve the problem temporarily, they said.
“Due to fighting in Shouqra, we were forced to send the shipment of reagents on a boat from Abyan to Aden,” a senior official said, adding that local hospitals in Aden have not been able to determine the causes of hundreds of deaths in the city since early last month when the city was hit by a rainstorm.
Hospitals and health facilities in the city cannot cope with the influx of patients amid a shortage of medical equipment and personal protective items, local health officials said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1677636/middle-east
(A H P)
UN pulls half its foreign aid staff out of Yemeni capital as COVID-19 spreads
The UN has pulled out over half its remaining international staff from Yemen’s capital to protect them from the spread of COVID-19, according to several UN sources.
Almost 100 UN staff left Sana’a aboard two UN-chartered flights to Ethiopia – on 12 May and on 17 May – according to one UN official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. This brings the number of foreign UN staff in the capital to about 60, down from 158, the source said.
A UN spokesperson in Yemen declined to comment, but Elisabeth Byrs, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme, the UN agency that chartered the flights, confirmed that it had flown aid workers out of Yemen.
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/05/20/un-yemen-pullout-staff-safety-covid-19
(* A H)
Yemen’s coronavirus committee reports new infections from all corners of the country
From May 19 to 20, Yemen’s National Emergency Committee for Coronavirus announced 50 new cases of coronavirus in Yemen, bringing the total to 184 confirmed cases nationwide, including four cases reported in Houthi-controlled areas. With a nationwide shortage of testing supplies and Houthi concealment of confirmed COVID-19 cases, that actual number of infections is far higher.
The majority of the new confirmed cases on Tuesday and Wednesday were in the interim capital Aden, where 19 people tested positive for COVID-19; Taiz governorate had 13 new cases; Hadhramout governorate reported 12 new cases; Al-Dhale and Lahj governorates each recorded two new infections; and Abyan and Marib governorates each logged one new case.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/815
(* A H)
Film: Hundreds die in Yemen of suspected coronavirus
More than 500 people in Aden, southern Yemen's main city, have died in the past week with symptoms of what appears to be the coronavirus. Local health officials tell The Associated Press SOUNDBITE (English) Samah Hadid, director of advocacy media and communications, Oxfam Yemen "The current scenario in Yemen at the moment is quite dire. There are reports suggesting that the number of cases of coronavirus in Yemen is actually larger than what is being reported. At the moment there are a lot of concerns around the rapid spread of the coronavirus, particularly in southern parts of Yemen."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrrMkaWm6GM
(* A H)
Film: Aid group warns of coronavirus spreading in Yemen
Aid organisation Save the Children on Friday warned that an unusual surge in fatalities in Yemen's southern city of Aden could be the result of the spread of the new coronavirus. The organisation said many Aden hospitals and clinics have closed, while in those which remain open some staff refuse to work because of severe shortages of personal protective equipment. Aden resident Ehab Khalid told the Associated Press that most of the city's hospitals are closed, and refused to treat his daughter for a blood condition. The warning from Save the Children comes as the city and its surrounding areas have suffered recent torrential rains, leading to a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry dengue fever, which can cause respiratory symptoms and fever similar to the new virus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvGt6ImfJJw
and also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYc9OWqYqnc
(A H)
Film: Yemenis go to Althawra Park in #Sanaa to do sports. They don't like to feel arrival of another killer, Covid-19, can break their hope. One more thing, sports boost immune system and help face the virus, trainers say. Authorities allow them to practice but with social distancing.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1263251372365025281
(A H)
152 Menschen verlassen Quarantänezentren in Saada
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097389.htm
(A H)
152 people leave quarantine centers in Saada
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097375.htm
(A H)
19 Personen verlassen das Quarantänezentrum in Hajjah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097390.htm
(A H)
19 people leave quarantine center in Hajjah
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097385.htm
(A H)
Film: 9 production centers and 157 trainees as community initiatives indicated directorate supported by our branch in Hajjah within the program to enable the production of masks and protective allowances according to medical specifications in coordination with the Health Office
https://twitter.com/SFDYemen/status/1263181255195144193
(A H)
Covid-19 infections in Yemen rise to around 150
Nine different provinces of Yemen now report corona virus infections
https://www.uprising.today/covid-19-infections-in-yemen-rise-to-around-150/
(A H)
Major General Jameel: 125 deaths recorded in the past two days in Aden the capital
Major General Sanad Jameel, head of Personal Status Authority and Civil Registry at the Ministry of Interior, revealed that the number of deaths that have been recorded since noon on Thursday to Friday noon reached 60 deaths, just five deaths from last day.
(A H P)
About 190 migrants left quarantine in Dhamar after testing negative for Covied-19
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097284.htm
(* B H)
Film: Corona überwältigt Krisenland Jemen
https://www.msn.com/de-de/video/panorama/corona-%C3%BCberw%C3%A4ltigt-krisenland-jemen/vi-BB14jvO4
(* B H)
NRC: Der Kampf gegen Covid-19 im Jemen
Wir können jedoch immer noch handeln und Leben retten. NRC Flüchtlingshilfe arbeitet rund um die Uhr mit lokalen Behörden und Gemeinden zusammen, um die Ausbreitung des Virus zu verlangsamen und in dieser Pandemie die lebenswichtige Versorgung zu gewährleisten.
Informieren
Eins der größten Hindernisse im Kampf gegen Covid-19 ist das mangelnde Wissen. Die Menschen wollen ihre Familien schützen, wissen aber nicht immer genau, was sie dafür tun müssen.
Unsere Teams vor Ort gehen in angemessener Schutzkleidung von Tür zu Tür und erklären, wie man die Übertragung von Covid-19 verhindern kann. Darüber hinaus haben wir leicht lesbare Plakate aufgehängt und demonstrieren, wie man sich am besten die Hände wäscht.
Für noch mehr Reichweite werden von lokalen Radiosendern lustige Hörspiele ausgestrahlt, um die Wichtigkeit des Händewaschens mit Seife, Social Distancing und andere gute Hygienepraktiken zur Vorbeugung von Krankheiten zu verdeutlichen. Diese werden voraussichtlich eine halbe Million Menschen erreichen.
Familien helfen, zu Hause zu bleiben
Selbst wenn die Menschen wissen, wie man sich am besten schützt, können die Lebensumstände ihnen einen Strich durch die Rechnung machen. Millionen Menschen, die vor dem Konflikt fliehen mussten, sind in Lagern mit schlechter Versorgung oder öffentlichen Gebäuden untergebracht. Unter diesen Umständen ist es schwierig, sich zu Hause zu isolieren.
Aus diesem Grund haben wir unsere Bargeldhilfe für vertriebene Familien aufgestockt. Dadurch sind sie in der Lage, Dinge wie Seife, Decken, Brennstoff und Lebensmittel zu kaufen. Überall dort, wo die lokalen Märkte nicht gut genug funktionieren, verteilen wir seit März Pakete mit nützlichen Hygiene- und Haushaltsartikeln direkt an die Familien, darunter über 27.000 kg Waschpulver.
Seife, Seife und noch mehr Seife
Seife ist eins der billigsten und wirksamsten Mittel, um die Ausbreitung des Virus zu verhindern. Die Hälfte aller jemenitischen Familien gibt jedoch an, keine Seife zu haben, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der gestiegenen Preise.
NRC Flüchtlingshilfe hat im Jemen zügig Seife und andere Hygieneartikel verteilt – über 300.000 Seifen in zwei Monaten – um sicherzustellen, dass Yasin und Hunderte weitere ihre Familien schützen können.
Das Wasser laufen lassen
Seife ist natürlich nur dann von Nutzen, wenn auch Wasser vorhanden ist.
„In vielen Lagern gibt es nicht genug Wasser, und die Lager sind normalerweise nicht sauber, besonders in der Regenzeit“, erklärt NRC Flüchtlingshilfe-Mitarbeiter Abdulrazaq Alwan.
Aus diesem Grund tun wir unser Möglichstes, um unsere übliche Arbeit im Bereich Wasser und Sanitäranlagen aufrechtzuerhalten. Dazu gehören die Bereitstellung von sauberem Wasser und Wasserfiltern für Vertriebene und Gastgebergemeinden, die Einrichtung von Latrinen und die Wartung von Abwassersystemen.
Sanitär-Teams die richtige Ausrüstung und das Know-how zur Verfügung stellen
Abfalleimer, Schubkarren, Besen, Handschuhe und Müllsäcke – all diese Dinge sind wichtige Waffen im Kampf gegen das Coronavirus.
In den letzten Wochen hat NRC Flüchtlingshilfe den kommunalen Reinigungskräften die Ausrüstung zur Verfügung gestellt, die sie brauchen
Versorgung verstärken
Obwohl die Menschen im ganzen Land Angst vor dem Virus haben, sind es die vertriebenen Familien, die am meisten gefährdet sind. Selbst wenn sie eine Infektion mit Covid-19 vermeiden können, haben sie bei ihrer Flucht immer noch ihre Arbeitsplätze aufgeben und all ihren Besitz zurücklassen müssen. Millionen Menschen auf der Flucht sind nicht weit von einer Hungersnot entfernt.
„Wenn wir nicht arbeiten gehen, haben wir nichts zu essen“, erklärt der vertriebene Vater Mohammed Al-Hawsali, der mit seiner Familie in einer inoffiziellen Siedlung lebt.
Da die Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten aufgrund der Beschränkungen und Ausgangssperren im Kampf gegen Covid-19 immer mehr versiegen, ist es besonders wichtig, dass wir unsere üblichen Projekte zur Bereitstellung von Lebensmitteln und anderen Grundversorgungsgütern weiterführen.
Unsere Mitarbeitenden schützen
Bei allem, was wir tun, um andere zu schützen, stellen unsere Teams auch sicher, dass sie selbst geschützt sind
Spenden - Für Menschen, die vor Krieg und Konflikt fliehen müssen
Alle Spenden an NRC Flüchtlingshilfe sind steuerlich absetzbar. Bitte wählen Sie aus:
https://www.nrc-hilft.de/perspektive/2020/mai/der-kampf-gegen-covid-19-im-jemen/
(* B H)
The power of behaviour change in Yemen’s COVID-19 response
The UN is doing all it can to respond to the pandemic, such as by forming the Humanitarian Task Force in Yemen, which leverages the collective might of multiple partners and agencies, towards support that is robust and comprehensive. The response comprises two very important streams –clinical and public health measures – in which community engagement and awareness-raising play a huge role.
“In the absence of ample clinical resources, we must focus on prevention measures, and it is always a challenge, in any disease outbreak, to get people to change their behaviours. In the case of COVID-19, behaviour change, if done systematically, can and will save lives,” said Ms. Assaf.
Yemen is a very close-knit society, with close and extended families living together in one home, sharing everything from space and food to personal items. The concept of “physical distancing” is foreign to most Yemenis, and its adoption is even more unlikely.
“As individuals, we all bear the responsibility to not spread the virus. The more we go out, mix and socialize, the higher our chances of catching COVID-19 and bringing it home,” said Dr. Phil Smith, COVID-19 Incident Manager with WHO. “Think of it this way: When you restrict your movements or stay at home, you are protecting your family from this virus, and the potential death it can cause,” he added.
The UN is actively prioritizing social and behaviour change communications and interventions in the hope that people will modify deep-seated behaviours that will, in turn, save their lives.
Community engagement and awareness-raising activities in Yemen are currently led by UNICEF together with WHO, which have trained more than 10,000 community volunteers as well as health-care workers on what COVID-19 is, how it is transmitted and, more importantly, how community members can protect themselves.
https://www.unocha.org/story/power-behaviour-change-yemen%E2%80%99s-covid-19-response
(* B H)
Yemenis Are Left Alone to Face COVID19
For Yemen, which reported its first coronavirus case on April 10, pandemic response measures are complicated by the impact of more than five years of war and displacement, a lack of a functioning or unified central authority, and a health system heavily reliant on international aid and donor support. W
Responses to Covid-19 in Yemen face numerous challenges from the fact that the country has been divided since 2014
An additional challenge to pandemic response measures is the fragile state of the health infrastructure in Yemen.
Above all, Covid-19 is likely to have a catastrophic impact on the people of Yemen. Years of privation, malnourishment, lack of sanitation and access to clean drinking water has resulted in compromised immune systems that put millions of people into the higher risk category.
Pandemic responses in Yemen therefore remain deeply vulnerable to the politicization of resources both locally and internationally. Any hopes that Covid-19 might create or expand a humanitarian ‘space’ have so far failed to materialize as the fighting and power plays have continued and, in some cases, intensified as the parties to the conflict seek to position themselves ahead of a potential endgame to the war. The prospect of a full-blown outbreak of Covid-19 in Yemen could take what is already the world’s most dire humanitarian situation to another level altogether, which is why early and rapid response measures are so badly required before it becomes too late.
https://gulfif.org/yemenis-are-left-alone-to-face-covid19/
(* B H)
Torn by War, Yemen's Medical System on Verge of Collapse as COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb
Coronavirus might pose a threat to Yemen, but it is far from the only problem facing the war-torn country, according to the ICRC spokesperson. In addition to the raging conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 100 thousand people, Yemen is also struggling to cope with constant floods and supplies of food and clean water.
The primary reason for this worry is Yemen's poor health system. According to estimates, Yemen has no more than 500 ventilators and 700 ICU beds nationally, whereas there is only one oxygen cylinder available per month for every 2.5 million people.
Half of Yemen's health facilities aren't functioning properly, and about 20 percent of the country's 333 districts have no doctors.
To make things worse, Yemen is also struggling to test all those who suspect they contracted the disease. At the moment, according to reports citing the World Health Organization, the country has only obtained 6500 test kits with the WHO sending an additional supply of 32 thousand others but in a state, where more than 40 thousand people out of the country's total 30 million population could die because of complications caused by COVID-19, that amount will definitely not suffice.
Addressing the situation in Yemen, Yara Khawaja, the spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), defined the situation as "catastrophic" and explained that the situation could only get worse if the war -- which has claimed the lives of more than 100 thousand people -- continues.
The five-year war has already led to what a UN report called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world
However, the Red Cross is not giving up. Working in conflict zones where it tries to "ensure humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflicts and other situations of violence," the organisation joint efforts with other international organisations to address the multiple problems Yemen is facing, including that of COVID-19, that typically falls under the jurisdiction of the WHO.
In addition, throughout the years, the ICRC has supported a large number of hospitals and various health care centres and has even set up 19 oxygen stations aimed at helping local medical services tackle the various respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, that have become common in Yemen.
(* A H)
Yemen records 37 new COVID-19 infections
Yemen on Tuesday recorded 37 new COVID-19 infections, the highest rate since the pandemic has arrived, in six governorates of the war-torn country.
Nineteen of the cases occurred in the southern port city of Aden, 9 in Hadhramout (including one death), 5 in Taiz (including one death), 2 in Dhalea and 1 in both Abyan and Marib, the official government-run supreme emergency committee (SEC) said.
Of the previously registered infections, 4 people died of COVID-19 in Hadhramout and one in Lahj, the SEC added.
Four infected people have recovered, two in Taiz and two in Hadhramout, bringing the total of recoveries to 5 cases.
Since the pandemic outbreak on 10 April, Yemen has recorded 170 confirmed infections, including 29 deaths and 7 recoveries, in areas under control of both official government and Houthi group.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17292.html
(A H)
Three new coronavirus infection cases registered in Taiz
http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/05/20/three-new-coronavirus-infection-cases-registered-in-taiz/
(A H)
5 Corona virus cases are recorded in Hadramout including one death
https://en.smanews.org/5-corona-virus-cases-are-recorded-in-hadramout-including-one-death
(* A H P)
Gesundheitsministerium [der Regierung in Sanaa] bestreitet die Herausgabe eines Dokuments über die Tötung von Coronavirus infizierten Personen
Das Ministerium für öffentliche Gesundheit und Bevölkerung lehnte die Veröffentlichung des unter dem Titel "Top Secret" verteilten Dokuments ab und behauptet, dass die Richtlinie alle mit dem Coronavirus infizierten Personen mit einer speziellen Barmherzigkeitsspritze getötet habe.
Das Ministerium bestätigte in einer Erklärung, dass die jemenitische Nachrichtenagentur (Saba) eine Kopie davon erhalten habe, dass das, was verbreitet wird, unfair sei und nicht mehr als ein Papier, das von den böswilligen Werkzeugen der amerikanisch-saudischen zionistischen Aggression gegen den Jemen gefälscht wurde
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097451.htm
(* A H P)
Houthis deny charges of liquidating COVID-19 patients
Houthi health official on Wednesday denied charges by the Yemeni official government that the group kills COVID-19 suspected cases in areas under their control.
"Such baseless accusations come as part of the government's habit in politicizing the different issues touching the citizens' life," the official told Debriefer.
"The dead bodies, which were taken from hospitals in the past days and their photos were circulated in social media, are mutilated bodies of unidentified people who had previously died in different events.
"They were buried under permission from the Public Prosecution after the legal time limit had passed," he added.
On Tuesday, the Yemeni internationally-recognized government called for an international fact-finding committee to know how the Houthis deal with COVID-19 patients in areas under their control, with the group failing to publicize real figures of infections and deaths of the virus.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17311.html
(* A H P)
[Hadi gov.] Yemeni Info. Minister: Houthis committing mass executions against suspected of COVID-19 infected
The Minister of Information in the Yemeni internationally recognized government, Moammer Al-Eryani, accused, on Tuesday evening, of the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) of excuting suspected cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in areas held by them.
Al-Eryani tweeted: “Dozens of testimonies coming from the kidnapped capital, Sana'a, Houthi-controlled areas for health workers and relatives of the victims confirm the group’s mass executions of everyone suspected of being infected with the novel Coronavirus through what is called (injection of mercy) and without submission for the necessary checks for confirmation and therapeutic intervention. "
Al-Eryani considered that "what is happening in the Houthi-controlled areas, which is a disregard for the measures to prevent the virus, the liquidation of suspects, and the tampering with facts and figures, are organized killings that threaten the lives of millions of Yemenis who are falling in the streets," stressing that they are "crimes that cannot be tolerated and those responsible will be brought to trial " soon or later. "
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17295.html
and
(* A K P)
Yemen calls for int'l committee to trace Houthi dealing with COVID-19
The Yemeni internationally-recognized government on Tuesday called for an international fact-finding committee to know how the Houthis deal with COVID-19 in areas under their control, with the group failing to publicize real figures of infections and deaths of the virus.
"It is reported that everyone admitted to [the Ibb-based Jibla] hospital does not leave alive," spokesman for the government told Asharq Al-awsat, accusing the Houthis of burying the dead bodies without advising their families, "who are not allowed to take part in the burial.
"We call on the UN and the international community to form fact-finding committees to know what actually happens at Houthi-controlled hospitals.
"The leaked figures tell that coronavirus has widely spread in these areas, and that the Houthis inject the infected people to kill them, instead of treating them," Rajih Badi added.
He quoted Houthi health minister as saying that "the group will declare only the number of recoveries" but not "the infections or deaths of coronavirus.
As many as 300 cases in Sana'a, at least, have not been reported, say Yemeni doctors, health workers and activists on social media.
On Saturday, medical sources claimed that the Houthis refused to unveil the results of positive tests for coronavirus cases in areas under their control.
Houthi high-ranking leaders have been absent from any official and private events, source close to the group told Debriefer on Saturday, "under strict supreme instructions."
"First and second-rank leaders of the group have been admitted to private quarantine lest they catch COVID-19 infection," the source added on condition of anonymity.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17290.html
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-39746
(* B H)
Yemen: COVID-19 through the eyes of a health-care worker
Yemen — Just months after the start of the conflict, a mass exodus of health-care professionals occurred in Yemen. Doctors, midwives, nurses and surgeons fled to other countries seeking safety, and the communities formed worldwide are now known as the “Yemeni diaspora”.
Despite this, a large group of health-care workers stayed behind, dealing with a plethora of outbreaks, emergencies and injuries. They are the backbone of Yemen’s health system, the unsung heroes in this war.
Located in private and public hospitals across the country and even on the front lines, these health-care workers are used to dealing with threats that they can see, touch and feel. The introduction of COVID-19, however, has struck a fear in them, one that they have never before experienced.
“As a nurse, I want to help and treat patients. I can see a gunshot wound or shrapnel injury, but I can’t see this. Even if I want to treat, how can I do that without personal protective equipment (PPE)? My focus would shift from the patient to worrying about if I will get infected,” said Irene Versoza, a nurse at the University of Science and Technology Hospital in Sana’a.
There is currently a global shortage of PPE, and Yemen is having to bid alongside countries that have more cases and more funding. The case numbers and deaths announced in Yemen are not enough to deem the country’s outbreak a ‘priority’ among global suppliers.
PPE is not the only thing Yemen requires at this stage, but almost 90 per cent of urgent COVID-19 items come from global and local suppliers. Available resources thus far include 38 COVID-19 isolation units, 4 laboratories with testing capacity, 6,700 testing kits, more than 220,000 pieces of PPE, 154 ventilators and 520 intensive care unit (ICU) beds. However, these are not enough to meet the demand.
The latest projections reveal that in a best-case scenario, there is a strong probability that an estimated 16 million people will be infected, which is more than half of the country’s population.
“There is a shortage of masks, and we use one mask per week. When I go home, I disinfect my mask to be able to use it the next day,” said Ms. Versoza.
The reality of the disease is stark and present in these hospitals – arriving patients are hesitant to say they are having difficulty breathing for fear they will be taken away from their families into isolation centres.
“I am willing to treat patients, but I need to feel safe, too. Right now, prayer is the only protection I have,” Ms. Versoza said.
https://www.unocha.org/story/yemen-covid-19-through-eyes-health-care-worker
(A H)
Medical source reveals 2 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Yemen's Amran
A medical source in Amran governorate, under Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen, revealed two confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
"The confirmed cases in the isolation department of the May 22 Hospital in Amran, two cases, one of which is in intensive care, because of his deteriorating health," the source told "Debriefer".
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17273.html
(A H)
3 Houthi senior leaders infected with COVID-19, Doctor and hospital owner in Sana'a dies of
A source close to the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) confirmed that the virus had reached senior Houthi leaders as the Ministry of Health in the government of "Salvation"of Houthis, insists on controlling the epidemic within the limits of the three cases that were previously disclosed.
The source told "Debriefer", Monday evening, that the director of the presidential office (the Supreme Political Council) Ahmed Hamed, Hashem Sharaf al-Din, and Abdullah, the senior officials in the presidential office, have been registered as infected with COVID-19.
In Sana'a, it has been announced on Sunday the death of Dr. Taha Al-Moayyad, a pioneer of urology and the owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of a private hospital in the capital, Sanaa, who was infected with the Coronavirus
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17272.html
(A H)
Spokesperson for supreme national emergency committee for Covid-19 tells BBC 80 death certificates are being issued by the Civil Registration Service everyday in #Aden as she highlights the situation in interim capital of #Yemen which is infested with Covid-19 and other diseases.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1262722234323480576
referring to film: https://twitter.com/mabdulhamidBBC/status/1262705354556821504
(A H P)
EU donates $60m to help Yemen curb coronavirus spread
The European Union (EU) yesterday said it would distribute €55 million ($60 million) to help Yemen in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200519-eu-donates-60m-to-help-yemen-curb-coronavirus-spread/
(* B H)
Houthis concealing true coronavirus toll in areas it controls, official says
The rebels are hiding the numbers to avoid a public panic, according to a deputy to Yemen’s Minister of Health
The Houthi rebels controlling northern Yemen have been accused of covering up the facts regarding the actual number of the coronavirus cases detected in the provinces under their control.
Dr Eshark Al Subaei, a deputy of the Yemeni Minister of Health and the spokesperson of the Supreme National Emergency Committee for Coronavirus in Yemen, told The National on Monday that the Houthi rebels have been hiding information about a surge in cases in Sanaa and the other provinces under their control.
“Dozens of Covid-19 cases detected in Sanaa in the last three weeks but the Houthi rebels cover up the truth because they think that announcing the real number of the detected cases will spark a public panic and that will affect mobilising new fighters to boost their fronts," Dr Al Subaei told The National.
“I received many calls from residents in Sanaa appealing us to help. Many citizens called me even from rural areas in northern Sanaa. They complained of a surge in the death rate among the people in their areas as the Houthi militia refuses to receive the suspected cases in the public hospitals," Dr Al Subaei said.
He also said that colleagues in hospitals across Sanaa had witnessed many positive cases, and said that the Houthis were threatening medical workers not to reveal information about infection rates.
(B H)
Yemen: Tri-Cluster COVID 19 Response Plan 2020
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-tri-cluster-covid-19-response-plan-2020
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(A K pH)
Anhaltende Verstöße in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097423.htm
(A K pH)
Aggression Forces continue violating Hodeidah truce
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097398.htm
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update For Wednesday, May 21th, 2020
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13015
(A K pS)
Houthis shell al-Duraihimi in south Hodeidah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/22090
(A K pH)
Aggressionskräfte verletzen weiterhin Waffenstillstand in Hodeida
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097305.htm
(A K pH)
New violations of aggression forces in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097233.htm
(A K pH)
62 Recorded Violations of Truce Agreement, in Hodeidah, by US-Saudi Forces
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12999
and also https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097260.htm
(B H)
Guidance note for sea cargo transport from port of origin to port Hudaydah (Yemen)
This document provides an overview of the logistics services to be made available by WFP, how humanitarian actors responding to the crisis in the Republic of Yemen may access these services, and the conditions under which these services are to be provided.
The objective of these services is to enable responding humanitarian organisations to establish an uninterrupted supply chain that supports the delivery of relief items to the affected population. These services are not intended to replace the logistics capacities of other organisations
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/guidance-note-sea-cargo-transport-port-origin-port-hudaydah-yemen = https://logcluster.org/document/yemen-wfp-guidance-note-sea-cargo-transport-port-origin-port-hudaydah-18-may-2020
(A K pH)
66 US-backed Saudi violations in Yemen’s Hodeidah in only 24 hours
https://www.uprising.today/66-us-backed-saudi-violations-in-yemens-hodeidah-in-only-24-hours/
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON MAY 20, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-may-20-2020-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON MAY 19, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-may-19-2020-map-update/
(B H K)
Die Frauen sind die ersten Opfer des Krieges (nur im Abo)
(* B K P)
30 Jahre vereinigter Jemen: "Ein Tanz auf Schlangenköpfen"
Im Jahr der deutschen Wiedervereinigung schlossen sich auch der Nord- und der Südjemen zu einem Staat zusammen. Doch 30 Jahre später ist das Land immer noch tief gespalten.
Während des so genannten arabischen Frühlings verbünden sich viele Stämme mit den Huthis, Teilen der Armee, mit etlichen sunnitischen Islamisten und protestierenden Jugendlichen gegen Saleh - jedenfalls vorübergehend. Er verliert das Präsidentenamt, kann aber mit Hilfe der Golfstaaten seinen ehemaligen Stellvertreter Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi als Nachfolger durchsetzen.
Saleh behält allerdings die Kontrolle über wichtige Armeeeinheiten. Den Jemen zu regieren, sei wie ein Tanz auf Schlangenköpfen, wird er gelegentlich zitiert. Selbst mit den Huthis, die mit dem Iran verbündet sind und die er lange bekämpft hatte, geht er nun eine Allianz ein.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/jemen-wiedervereinigung-101.html
and English version:
(B K P)
Yemen United 30 Years: “Dancing on Snakeheads”
In the year of German reunification, North and South Yemen also merged into one state. But 30 years later, the country is still deeply divided.
https://listiclefeed.com/yemen-united-30-years-dancing-on-snakeheads/
(B K P)
Den Krieg im Jemen hat niemand gewonnen
Das zerstörte Land braucht einen neutralen Vermittler – warum nicht Europa? Und die Kriegstreiber müssen sich endlich der Verantwortung stellen (kostenpflichtig)
https://www.diepresse.com/5816799/den-krieg-im-jemen-hat-niemand-gewonnen
(A P)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Congratulates President of Yemen on Unity Day
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi of the Republic of Yemen on the anniversary of his country's Unity Day.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2090086
My comment: Looking at today’s “Yemen Unity”, this is odd.
(B E H P)
Film: wars are not the only thing that kill Yemenis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM7RAqfRd40
(B K P)
Without a peace deal now, Yemen will be overrun by coronavirus
Yemeni leaders are trapped in a pre-pandemic mindset as the virus works its way through their population
There is an opportunity for positive action. But it is deeply concerning that some of Yemen’s leaders have shirked their responsibilities and sought to use the crisis to serve their own narrow agendas. We have heard reports of the Houthis blaming migrants for the outbreak and stopping coronavirus cases from being recorded. We must see through this smokescreen.
Across the country, needless restrictions on the international humanitarian response are preventing aid from getting to those that need it most.
But these humanitarian organisations can only do what Yemen’s leaders allow them to. In Houthi-controlled areas, these restrictions are so severe that they are preventing the delivery of aid to millions of people in need, meaning some donors have had no choice but to suspend their funding at the time when Yemen needs aid most. I call on Yemen’s leaders to immediately facilitate humanitarian access and operations to help us win the fight against coronavirus.
For the sake of all Yemenis, Yemen’s leaders must now park their differences and agree upon a political solution to fight coronavirus and provide a pathway out of this wretched conflict – by James Cleverly, the UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/yemens-leaders-must-act-now-to-prevent-coronavirus-catastrophe = https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/without-a-peace-deal-now-yemen-will-be-overrun-by-coronavirus-1.1022680
My comment: This is not totally wrong. But of course, the UK is warring party in the Yemen war, by its arms sales and permanent support for the Saudi coalition. These arms sales and support enabled the Saudis to lead this war for 5 years now. Thus, a statement like this, miming the neutral observer and peace promoter is a piece of British / Western hypocrisy.
Comment by Fuad Rajeh: And the UK will continue support to UAE to destabilise Yemen! Anyway, let us ask Mr Cleverly: Yemen leaders? Yemen is run by militias "and proxies" created, funded and armed by foreign players, including UK allies. Gov't is in exile extorted by UK allies.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1263533304466354178
(* B K P)
Yemen: Sovereign South / Nervous North
This month the violence is down a bit as all Yemenis try to cope with disease (cholera and covid19) as well as food shortages and worsening poverty. Then there is the political stalemate as Shia rebels grow weary after six years of fighting without much to show for it. Southern separatists are further complication matters.
Southern Discomfort
The UAE (United Arab Emirates) has been in charge of security (and aid delivery) in the south since 2015 and has supported the formation of the STC (South Transitional Council). This group is composed of southern tribes that want autonomy but claim they are willing to fight and defeat the Islamic terrorists as well as the Shia rebels first.
The corruption and lack of unity are related to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa (Northeast Africa) region, the normal form of government, until the last century or so, were wealthier coastal city-states, nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming (or a little of both).
This lack of nationalism means a lack of cooperation or willingness to act in the public interest.
There is little willingness to cooperate. Feuding, fighting and blaming others for the mess are the preferred methods for dealing with the problems.
There is resistance to admitting that Yemen is a failed state, one of those areas (like Somalia and Afghanistan) that were never united for long and are basically several smaller entities that are not really interested in unity with their neighbors who are supposed to be their countrymen. And then there is the corruption problem.
Foreign Irritations
Since mid-2019 the balance of combat power has shifted as the government coalition lost a lot of their ground troops. This was because the UAE (United Arab Emirates) withdrew most of its forces in late 2019 because of disagreements with Saudi Arabia over strategy and fears in the UAE that Iran might attack.
This new situation puts Saudi Arabia in a difficult position. Efforts to negotiate an end of the Yemen war proved unsuccessful as Iranian control over the Shia rebels could not be significantly reduced, at least not yet. The Iranians are determined to maintain their presence in Yemen and on the Saudi border.
https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/20200520.aspx
My comment: Stressing a big role for Iran is following the Saudi / US propaganda plot. And: better ask Yemenis themselves what they think about national unity and tribalism.
(B K P)
Saudi Arabia's declared cease-fire on Yemen is a lie: Ansarallah spox
In an interview with the Arabic-language Almasirah TV, Abdul-Salam said while discussions on Yemen’s truce are underway the Saudi aggression continues to violate the agreements in this regard.
Criticizing the UN’s lack of resolve in tackling Yemeni people’s challenge, he said, "The United Nations expresses the position of the United States and the United Kingdom, and they consequently refrain from discussing issues such as the reopening of the airports and ports and lifting the blockades.”
"While the discussions continue with the UN, they want a temporary cease-fire and to keep the enemy aircrafts flying over Yemen," he added.
Abdul-Salam noted that it is imperative to put the reopening of airports and marine ports on the agenda to help deliver humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
While the talks underway to solve the Yemeni people’s issues, the Saudi-led coalition conducts tens of aggressions in the war-torn country every day.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/158909/Saudi-Arabia-s-declared-cease-fire-on-Yemen-is-a-lie-Ansarallah
(* B P)
Film: Yemen war: Families protest over missing relatives
Families of missing people in Yemen find themselves in an endless nightmare where their loved ones have been forcibly disappeared by Saudi-UAE-backed forces.
Hundreds of civilians have disappeared during Yemen's five-year war.
Many are said to have been taken in for questioning by the Saudi-UAE coalition.
And their families are desperate for answers about their relatives' whereabouts.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/yemen-war-families-protest-missing-relatives-200519111709941.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH_mjbH6QyM
(B K P)
Vom möglichen Segen des billigen Öls
Aber trotz all seiner wirtschaftlichen Folgen, birgt der Ölpreisverfall politisch durchaus Chancen. Denn nun könnte das Geld ausgehen, mit dem bisher einige der blutigsten Konflikte in der Region befeuert wurden. Schon jetzt ist der Krieg im Jemen, der die Saudis täglich 185 Millionen Euro kostet, nicht mehr zu finanzieren.
Zugleich werden auch die Zuwendungen aus Saudi-Arabien und Katar für dschihadistische Gruppen versiegen, und ob die Emirate weiterhin die massive Unterstützung des libyschen Warlords Khalifa Haftar aufrechterhalten, ist ebenfalls äußerst fraglich. Dies könnte sich direkt auf die Bürgerkriege in Libyen und Syrien auswirken.
https://rp-online.de/politik/ausland/vom-moeglichen-segen-des-billigen-oels_aid-51229565
(B P)
30 years after unity dream, fragmented Yemen faces reality
Thirty years after unification, Yemen is on the verge of fragmentation as a result of armed conflicts, regional rivalries and foreign interference
[Overview article]
https://www.france24.com/en/20200520-30-years-after-unity-dream-fragmented-yemen-faces-reality = https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-8338633/30-years-unity-dream-fragmented-Yemen-faces-reality.html = https://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/30-years-after-unity-dream-fragmented-yemen-faces-reality
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(A K P)
Vessel BRUNO Arrives at Hodeidah Port, 11 Vessels Still Being Held
Vessel BRUNO, loaded with 29,961 tons of diesel, has arrived at the port of Hodeidah, after being detained by the coalition of aggression for 57 days arbitrarily, without any legal justification, ignoring the basic goal of the Stockholm Agreement, which is the necessity of facilitating the access of basic and humanitarian needs to the port of Hodeidah.
The coalition aggression is still holding 11 oil vessels, with a total tonnage of 170,489 tons of benzene and 124,106 tons of diesel in eleven ships detained for varying periods. Some have been detained for more than 56 days.
Likewise, the coalition of aggression intends to prevent ships of food, medicine and domestic gas from entering the port of Hodeidah, despite obtaining United Nations permits, striving to tighten the screws on citizens and deepen their suffering directly
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12986
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
The Nasna Foundation - Meet Yemen’s female entrepreneurs
Alternative stoves, special heat-retaining cooking bags aid during wartime gas shortage.
Hind Al-Jaberi, a 32-year-old woman living in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, recently started cooking with a unique, solar-powered stove due to a massive cooking-gas shortage in the north of the civil war-wracked country.
Late in 2019, Jaberi became familiar with the Nasna Foundation, which works in development and creates alternative equipment for the home. The foundation came up with the stove and two other devices. The stove’s purchase saved her a lot of money.
“Before the war, cooking gas was the last thing we had to worry about, but recently we have suffered continuously,” she explained.
Jaberi has been able to cook a variety of foods with the solar oven, including rice, soup, beef, legumes and other basic family dishes. She is satisfied with its performance so far, saying it is “at the required level compared to other alternatives I sometimes used before.”
Qasim Al-Burai, a 41-year-old father of five who works in construction, purchased the foundation’s two other devices.
“Before I bought the heat preserver and the economic stove, I used to wait for hours and sometimes for days to get a gas cylinder, which is consumed in less than 10 days,” he noted. “After that, more than a month passes before gas is available again in our area.”
The stoves are the brainchild of women displaced by the war. One of them, Hajer Hameed, founded the nonprofit Nasna Foundation, which she manages.
Hameed said that she and the others decided to find an alternative to cooking gas and create jobs for women among the internally displaced population (IDP).
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, the conflict in Yemen has displaced about 3.1 million people.
“After one year of being displaced in Sana’a under difficult living conditions that lacked essentials, we were able to come up with the idea of alternatives to cooking gas with help from a group of IDPs,” Hameed stated.
Getting the seed money was not easy.
“A few of the IDP women and I sold all of our jewelry,” she related, “and were able to obtain various loans from a group of people to finish preparing and purchasing the raw materials.”
SHE AND her colleagues did a lot of research and looked into similar projects in other countries before developing their products with materials that were locally available.
“So far, we have been able to find three alternatives to cooking gas, and they are the ‘economic’ stove, the solar oven – genuine inventions – and the heat preserver,” she explained, noting that the latter is a development of an existing model available in other countries.
The economic stove retails for YER 15,000, the equivalent of about $60. So far, more than 150 units have been sold.
The foundation’s oven runs on solar power and costs YER 30,000. It is a box featuring aluminum and glass panels with thermal materials that capture heat from sunlight. The cook puts food inside and then places the box in the sun.
According to Hameed, the device can be used to cook rice, beef and potatoes, as well as other foods – by Mohamed Sayers
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/the-nasna-foundation-meet-yemens-female-entrepreneurs-628792
(B H)
Film: Yémen: le ramadan en temps de guerre et le coronavirus
Alors que les mosquées sont fermées et les rassemblements interdits dans le nord du Yémen pour lutter contre le coronavirus, la capitale, Sanaa, célèbre le ramadan, sans respecter les mesures sanitaires
https://information.tv5monde.com/video/yemen-le-ramadan-en-temps-de-guerre-et-le-coronavirus
(A H)
Film: The suffering of the citizens due to rain and torrential rain in Rima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWtun-z1wE
(B H)
Film: Citizens are suffering between low purchasing power in light of high prices and fear of the Corona epidemic
[Empty markets in times of Eid; Sanaa]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg5W5Hxxjzk
(B H)
Yemen: Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin: Volume 08, lssue 17, Epi week 17,(20-26 April 2020)
During week no.17,2020, %92(1991/1822) health facilites from 23 Governorates provided valid surveillance data.
The total number of consultation reported during the week in 23 Governorates was 295637 compared to 334727 the previous reporting week 17. Acute respiratory tract infections lower Respiratory Infections (LRTI), Upper Respiratory Infections (URTI), Other acute diarrhea (OAD) and Malaria (Mal) were the leading cause of morbidity this week.
A total of 1332 alerts were generated by eDEWS system in week 17,2020, were verified as true for further investigations with appropriate response.
(A H)
Die türkische Wohltätigkeitsorganisation verteilt Nahrungsmittelhilfe im Jemen
Der türkische Rote Halbmond (Kizilay) verteilte am Mittwoch fast 2.000 Lebensmittelpakete an bedürftige Familien in Jemens vorübergehender Hauptstadt Aden und in der südlichen Provinz Hadhramaut.
(A H)
Turkish charity distributes food aid in Yemen
Turkish Red Crescent distributes 1,937 food parcels to needy families in temporary capital
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkish-charity-distributes-food-aid-in-yemen/1848486
(B H)
Film: Taiz markets without visitors despite the Eid
Despite the Eid approaching, markets and shops in the southern Yemeni city of Taiz have been empty from buyers Eid eid supplies due to the interruption of employees' salaries, in addition to the outbreak of the coronavirus and other epidemics, which increased the suffering of the people in the besieged city for more than five years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyl39Pw8dPk
(* B H)
Providing new shelters to Yemenis affected by flash floods
Isolated in the low rising mountains on the Gulf of Aden, Yemeni families displaced from Al Hudaydah as a result of the protracted conflict have been living in dilapidated and unfinished housing for over a year. Poorly sheltered from the weather, they experienced further hardship following the unanticipated flash flooding in early April.
ACTED is responding through the provision of shelter materials to support more than 1,500 vulnerable people worst affected by the flooding.
Following the flooding, ACTED rushed to assess the floods’ impact on those living in settlements in six districts across Aden. These assessments showed that over 1,500 people lost their belongings and were desperately in need of new shelters, many of whom could not return as little remained of their homes.
To support the 1,500 families facing shelter emergencies, ACTED partnered with IOM to distribute shelter kits containing tarpaulin, planks of wood, rope and other essential items to allow families to construct or fix their shelters.
With the support of ACTED’s engineers, families were able to build sturdier structures to provide protection from the tumultuous weather of the rainy season. The new housing is one important step in providing Yemeni communities with the basics and helping them to get back on their feet, particularly with no end to the war in sight.
https://www.acted.org/en/providing-new-shelters-to-yemenis-affected-by-flash-floods/
(B H)
With Yemen’s health system approaching a breaking point, displaced women sew face masks to protect community
Yet women and girls are leading a major effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those attending UNFPA-supported safe spaces, like Deena, have collectively made more than 15,000 face masks that have been distributed in communities and displaced camps.
During distribution, recipients learn about the correct use of the masks as well as other infection-prevention measures.
UNFPA currently supports 42 safe spaces – with funding from Iceland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland – as part of efforts to empower women and provide services for survivors of gender-based violence. The spaces provide access to counselling, health services and income-generating projects.
After attending tailoring classes at her safe space in Raymah, Deena was able to support her family with an income. Now, she is eager to use those skills as part of the pandemic response. “The safe space provided us training and materials to produce these masks,” she said.
Jannat, 17, is also happy to put her sewing skills to use for her community.
Jannat began sewing dresses at her local safe space, helping to support her family after her father lost his job. Now, she said, “I feel proud that I am sewing these masks and help to protect people from this deadly virus.”
(B H)
UNFPA Yemen Response: Monthly Situation Report #04 April 2020
The scale, severity and complexity of needs in Yemen are staggering
Funding shortages are making it increasingly difficult for humanitarian actors to meet the staggering needs of the humanitarian crisis, with 31 out of UN’s 41 major humanitarian programmes expected to reduce or shut unless funding becomes available within the coming months. UNFPA's appeal for $100.5 million towards its humanitarian response in 2020 has thus far received only $41.7 million.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unfpa-yemen-response-monthly-situation-report-04-april-2020
(A H)
European Union brings relief to flood victims in Yemen
In response to the floods that hit Yemen in April, the European Union has released €160.000 in humanitarian aid to assist 17.500 of the most affected people.
This EU funding supports the Yemen Red Crescent in delivering much needed relief assistance, including blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, hygiene kits and jerrycans. The support is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
During the month of April, Yemen experienced heavy rains which caused flash floods in different governorates of the country requiring immediate relief.
https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/yemen/79605/european-union-brings-relief-flood-victims-yemen_en
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 21 May 2020
The High-Level Pledging Event for Yemen is confirmed to take place on 2 June, hosted by Saudi Arabia and in collaboration with OCHA. The event—which is being held virtually—is convened to raise much-needed funding for humanitarian programs across Yemen, including for the pandemic response. UNHCR’s critical needs in Yemen currently amount to USD 89.4 M for life-saving protection and assistance to internally displaced families, refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities. Additionally, the UN health sector requires at least USD 151.1 M to support urgent COVID-19 responses across the country.
Over the reporting period, UNHCR assessed more than 3,300 IDP families country-wide, including families recently displaced by conflict in Marib, and Al Bayda
Critical funding shortfalls however are threatening the humanitarian response for these families. UNHCR needs some USD 25 M to continue protection services–including cash and legal support—over the next six months. Without urgent funding, these families will lose access to critical and life-saving assistance.
UNHCR and partners reached close to 7,000 recently displaced families with cash assistance in Al Jawf, Sa’ada, and Marib. As one of the last distributions, families received a cash allocation to help cover basic needs such as food and rent.
This assistance serves as a lifeline for displaced families, particularly those forced to flee their homes near the frontlines, the majority of whom have left everything behind.
UNHCR is monitoring movements of migrants and refugees from De Facto Authority (DFA)-controlled territories, and is coordinating with partners to provide protection and assistance to people of concern to UNHCR.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-21-may-2020 = https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/76520
(* B H)
Yemen: Displaced at Heightened Covid-19 Risk
Civilians fleeing renewed fighting in northern Yemen are particularly vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch said today.
Fighting in Marib governorate between Houthi forces and the Saudi-led coalition and their Yemeni government allies has moved closer to overcrowded camps for internally displaced people that have inadequate health services and humanitarian aid. The parties to the conflict should take immediate steps to protect displaced people in insecure areas and facilitate access to aid. Poor camp conditions including recent flooding make the residents especially vulnerable to a Covid-19 outbreak, which Yemen lacks the capability to contain, especially as donors have reduced assistance.
“Yemeni government forces and Houthi forces need to protect fleeing civilians and ensure that they can get aid,” said Afrah Nasser, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The heightened risk to millions of Yemeni civilians who rely on aid as their lifeline comes at a time of reduced foreign assistance and rising fear of a Covid-19 outbreak.”
Marib currently hosts 750,000 displaced people, outnumbering the city’s original population of 500,000. There are camps for displaced people and other shelter facilities across Marib, including in schools, a university campus, and a museum, according to Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Two aid workers told Human Rights Watch that coalition forces are deployed near some camps near current front lines, putting civilians at additional risk.
Since February, Houthi military advances have left Marib City surrounded by active fighting in both the north and south.
Displaced people, whom UNHCR warned are “the most vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19,” face even greater risks. Most displaced people are in dangerously overcrowded camps with substandard health care and inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and other essential services, or the ability to follow social distancing guidelines or “self-isolate” when sick. Recent flash flooding in Marib has affected at least 16 sites, increasing the chances of another cholera outbreak.
As of mid-May, Marib has one confirmed Covid-19 case, and the risk will increase as the virus spreads to other Yemen regions.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/22/yemen-displaced-heightened-covid-19-risk
https://www.eurasiareview.com/24052020-yemen-displaced-at-heightened-covid-19-risk-says-hrw/
(* B H)
Regional Migrant Response Plan for Horn of Africa and Yemen: Quarterly Update – October to December 2019 and Annual Review
The bidirectional nature of large-scale migratory movements continues to be a salient feature of the Eastern Route. During 2019, 170,890 migrants returned to Ethiopia and Yemen from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). IOM registered 120,825 migrants returning to Ethiopia from KSA, while an additional 50,065 migrants returned from KSA to Yemen.
This migratory corridor continues to be characterized by a significant number of “children on the move”, a notable number of whom are unaccompanied or separated. Approximately six percent (8,100) of the total number of migrant arrivals to Yemen were unaccompanied migrant children (UMC)
Irregular migrants continue to face extreme risks and protection concerns while making the journey from the Horn of Africa to Yemen.
In coordination and consultation with RMRP partners, the estimated number of vulnerable migrants in need of life-saving humanitarian and protection assistance from RMRP partners along the Eastern Route was revised upward from 100,000 to 113,000, in October 2019, requiring a budget of USD 54 million. In 2020, it is foreseen that the need for assistance to vulnerable migrants involved in bidirectional movements between the Horn of Africa and Yemen will remain high and critical, especially in the wake of COVID-19, underscoring the need for the coordinated effort arising from the RMRP to meet humanitarian assistance and protection needs, increase advocacy efforts, and create new partnerships, including for health challenges, as well as for collaboration and research around the impacts on the migratory dynamics of the Eastern Route.
(B H)
Ramadan
Join a network of incredible people providing life-saving support
Your gift provides clean water, food, shelter and protection to vulnerable refugee families who are living without a provider: widows, orphans and the elderly.
For refugee and displaced families who are observing the holy month far from their homes and communities, faced with poverty, hardship, and uncertainty, Ramadan is bitter sweet.
How much can you give to refugee families in need?
https://giving.unhcr.org/en/ramadan/
and
(B H)
Film: Displaced in Aden
This is Kudafa's second Ramadan away from her home.
Like millions of people in Yemen, she was forced to flee her home bc of conflict.
She escaped Hudaydah with her children & ailing husband.
You can help displaced Yemeni's like Kudafa this Ramadan
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=187316475780972
(* B H)
Supplying Clean Water to Yemen’s Largest Displacement Camp
Hosting over 5,000 families, Al Jufainah Camp in Marib city is Yemen’s largest displacement site. For many of the camp’s residents, collecting enough water to sustain their families was a daily struggle. The increasing spread of communicable diseases, like cholera and more recently COVID-19, makes this lack of access to safe water even more dangerous.
“Twelve months ago, most people had to spend a lot of money buying or borrowing water from neighbours,” said Waleed, a displaced person living in Al Jufainah Camp, who worked as a water point monitor with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
European Union Humanitarian Aid partnered with IOM to improve water access in Al Jufainah Camp. IOM worked side by side with camp representatives to develop a plan for emergency water trucking and to establish 27 water points bringing chlorinated water that’s safe for drinking and handwashing to over 4,000 displaced families in the camp.
New water points and water delivery is not where the support stopped. To keep the water points filled and functioning, IOM’s water and sanitation team in Marib trained over 80 camp residents as water point monitors — some of whom were given future training as hygiene promoters to raise awareness among their neighbours on how to effectively combat COVID-19 and cholera.
https://storyteller.iom.int/stories/supplying-clean-water-yemens-largest-displacement-camp
(B H)
Zwei Lager im Jemen, das Dharwan Lager und das Alazraqain Lager in der Nähe von Sanaa.
In den beiden Lagern leben ungefähr 500 Familien - ungefähr 3000 Menschen, alle, auf Grund interner Zusammenstöße, aus ihren Gebieten vertrieben. Ihr Leben ist gezeichnet von Hunger und Krankheiten. Sie haben ihre Hütten und Zelte auf diesem Areal aufgeschlagen. Sie heißen Garbage People weil sie in ihrem eigenen Müll leben, eine Müllabfuhr gibt es nicht.
Das Wasser in den weitabgelegenen Tanks ist nicht kostenlos. Die meisten Menschen dort sind ohne Erwerb und können sich kein Wasser leisten. Wir wollen den Menschen die Möglichkeit geben, täglich frisches Wasser zu nutzen.
Wir wollen jeweils einen Wassertank und aller 2 Tage das Befüllen mit Frischwasser sichern.
Werdet Wasserpaten und schenkt den Menschen mit einer monatlichen Spende von 30€, 40€ oder 50€, für 3, 4 oder 5 Tage frisches Wasser.
Jede Spende hilft! (Fotos)
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=105505537843241&story_fbid=105513687842426
(* B H)
Yemen – COVID-19 response: Cash assistance to support displaced families affected by COVID-19
UNHCR's multi-purpose cash programmes are the largest cash support for displaced populations in Yemen, providing a lifeline to the most vulnerable since 2018. Delivery of cash-based interventions is a rapid and efficient means to address pressing vulnerabilities. A total of some 180,000 refugee and Yemeni internally displaced (IDP) families (over 1.2 million displaced people) benefited from monthly or one-off cash support in 2019 alone. With advanced payments of monthly cash assistance to address risks related to COVID-19, over 70,000 displaced families, close to 450,000 individuals have already received cash assistance from UNHCR in 2020.
Through UNCHR’s cash programme, refugees and IDPs have increased access to basic hygiene and medical care. Given the stigmatization of these population groups accused of spreading COVID-19 linked to their displacement status, they are particularly at risk of losing their jobs as the economy slows down, being denied access to medical treatment or having their freedom of movement curtailed. As a result, they will be the primary victims of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods opportunities.
Displaced families primarily use UNHCR cash to pay their rent or secure a shelter, pay for doctors’ fees and to buy food, medicines or clothes, in particular for women and children, persons with disabilities and older persons. These funds often allow families to maintain acceptable health and hygienic conditions and a more balanced diet, contributing to improved immunity against diseases.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-covid-19-response-cash-assistance-support-displaced-families-affected-covid-19 = https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/76429
(* B H)
Film: So lebt Muna im Jemen während der Corona-Pandemie
Muna lebt in einem Camp für vertriebene Familien im Jemen. In ihrem persönlichen Video nimmt sie uns mit in ihren Alltag. Schnell wird deutlich, vor welchen Herausforderungen sie durch das Coronavirus steht.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIMfrvvyTXs
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
Siehe / Look at cp1a.
(A P)
Houthi official calls coalition for real peace negotiations
Chairman of the Houthi Supreme Political Council (SPC) on Thursday called the Saudi-led coalition to "engage in real, serious peace negotiations."
On the 30th anniversary of the Yemeni Unification Day, Mahdi al-Mashat also called the coalition to stop war, lift blockade, rebuild Yemen and exchange prisoners.
"While insisting on peace, we promise our people to confront escalation with escalation," he added in a televised speech.
"It's time for coalition countries to realize their catastrophically persistent blatant interference in the Yemeni affairs," the SPC chairman
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17333.html
(A P)
Houthis Empty the Pockets of Holiday Travelers
Ending their Ramadan campaign of levies against merchants and stores, Houthi militias in Yemen launched a new extortion campaign targeting travelers looking to return to their home villages in different governorates.
Houthis have imposed a tax on travelers, especially those coming from Sanaa, to pass through to their villages and avoid the so-called health quarantine upheld by militants.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis are used to spending Eid al-Fitr, the religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long fasting of Ramadan, in their hometowns.
Houthis are exploiting that fact and the current situation imposed by the coronavirus to collect funds for their war effort.
According to residents returning from Sanaa to their governorates, checkpoints were set by the Houthi militias at the entrances to the governorates and in various districts. At these checkpoints, travelers are detained and stacked in an area for alleged quarantine purposes.
Even if tested negative for coronavirus, travelers are not allowed to pass through the checkpoint unless they pay a tax of 10,000 Yemeni rials, a local bus driver told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Those who pay the fee can pass even before their test results are concluded, the bus driver added.
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2295266/houthis-empty-pockets-holiday-travelers = http://en.adenpress.news/news/22103
(A P)
Yemeni Scholars: Saudis, UAE Responsible for Repercussions of Shameful Normalization with Israeli Enemy
A group of Yemeni religious scholars have condemned attempts by a number of Arab states to normalize relations with the Israeli regime, holding Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates responsible for any negative repercussions of such bids.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13035
(A K P)
Revolutionsführer bekräftigt Festhalten am Recht auf Heiligkeiten in Palästina und Bereitschaft für alle Optionen
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097509.htm
(A K P)
Revolutionsführer erneuert Initiative an saudische Regime bezüglich der Freilassung der entführten Palästinenser
Der Führer der Revolution, Herr Abdulmalik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, erneuerte sein Angebot bezüglich der Freilassung der palästinensischen Entführer an das saudische Regime und betonte die Bereitschaft, die Obergrenze des Austauschabkommens anzuheben, um die Hinzufügung eines weiteren Piloten, fünf saudischer Offiziere und Soldaten aufzunehmen.
"Wir raten dem saudischen Regime, auf dieses Angebot zu reagieren, zumindest im Interesse seiner Piloten und seiner gefangenen Offiziere", sagte Abdulmalik Badreddine Al-Houthi während seiner Rede auf dem Festival der Führer der Widerstandsachse anlässlich des Internationalen Jerusalem-Tages.
Er wies darauf hin, dass der Internationale Tag von Al-Quds eine wichtige Gelegenheit ist, die die Nation an ihre Verantwortung für ihre erste Sache, die Palästinenserfrage, erinnert und dazu beiträgt, das Bewusstsein der Völker der Nation für die israelische Gefahr zu schärfen, und eine Gelegenheit für eine ernsthafte praktische Bewegung zur Befreiung des Landes Palästina und der besetzten Länder, zur Wiederherstellung von Heiligkeiten und zur Rettung des palästinensischen Volkes bietet.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3097393.htm
(A K P)
Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi speaks on occasion of Al-Quds Day
The Leader of the Yemeni Revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, has said that World al-Quds Day, celebrated on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan, “provides an opportunity for the liberation of Palestine, the restoration of the holy places and the saving of the Palestinian people.”
During his speech at the Leaders of the Axis of Resistance Festival on the occasion of World al-Quds Day, Sayyid al-Houthi stressed that the “Yemeni people stand with the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli enemy as a religious and humanitarian commitment.”
https://www.uprising.today/sayyid-abdul-malik-al-houthi-speaks-on-occasion-of-al-quds-day/
and also https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13038
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/820
(A K P)
Al-Bokhaiti: UK is partner in aggression and blockade imposed on Yemen
The leader of the Ansar Allah group (Houthis), Mohammad Al-Bokhaiti, accused Wednesday UK of participating in theory "aggression and siege imposed on Yemen" with the aim of ensuring a safe military site for it in the future.
Al-Bokhaiti tweeted: "Britain is a partner in the aggression and blockade impsed on Yemen, which has caused the death of hundreds of thousands."
Al-Bokhaiti pointed out that "when a British vessel was attacked, the world did not sit there and committed the UAE and Saudi Arabia to take a firm stand on the STC with the aim of delivering a message that the security and lives of the British are sacred and not like the lives of the Yemenis without value," he said.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-17314.html
(* A P)
Yemen Houthis refuse to release detained journalists, offer to exchange for POWs
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have refused to release detained journalists and offered to exchange them for prisoners of war, the journalists’ lawyer has disclosed.
Lawyer Abdul Majeed Sabra announced on Facebook that the Specialised Criminal Court of First Instance in Sanaa ruled in April to release journalists Hisham Tarmoum, Hisham Al-Yousfi, Haitham Al-Shehab, Issam Bel-Ghaith and Hassan Annab, however, the Houthis refused to execute the judiciary’s ruling under the pretext that they will be exchanged for prisoners of war.
Sabra described the Houthis’ decision as: “A war crime against the detainees who had been kidnapped from their homes and workplaces,” stressing that local laws and international covenants do not allow exchanging a detainee for a prisoner of war.
He called on: “International organisations to support the detainees and pressure all parties to immediately release them.”
The Yemeni lawyer has also called to distance the judiciary from politics.
(A P)
Houthis continue sectarian social gatherings in Ibb despite COVID-19
The Houthis Shiite rebels continue implementation of sectarian social activities in Ibb, central Yemen despite recording scores of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the governorate.
Local sources said that the Houthis organized several events for the anniversary of Imam Ali’s death in several districts of Ibb away from preventive health measures.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-39769
(* A K P)
Houthi leader reaffirms deep ties with Iran, calls for ‘liberation’ of Mecca
The leader of the Houthis, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, has called for the “liberation” of Mecca and other holy places in Saudi Arabia in a religious lecture broadcast in Yemen during Ramadan.
Al-Houthi said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had no mandate or legitimacy to control the holy mosque, and said the kingdom’s administration of these sites and the ritual of Hajj deterred many from performing the prayers.
“It is a crime against those holy places and one of the biggest crimes of all time” that they remain under Saudi control, Al-Houthi said, calling for the sites to come under the control of the “believers.”
The lecture was broadcast on the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV station, based in the suburbs of Beirut where Iran-backed Hezbollah holds sway.
Al-Houthi accused the Saudi’s of exploiting their control of Islam’s holiest site for political, cultural and financial reasons. The Houthis and their allies in Iran and Lebanon are devoted to the idea of the right of “Ahl Al-Bayt,” literally translating to “People of the House,” referring to the Prophet Mohammed’s family. Claiming descendance from the Prophet, Al-Houthi believes he and others of the “Bayt” are the only legitimate overseers of Islam’s holy sites.
The lecture comes at a time when Saudi Arabia and the West are putting pressure on the Houthis to distance themselves from Iran in exchange for a peace deal with the Saudis.
Al-Houthi’s words on this topic have been interpreted to mean that there is something far deeper than politics linking the group to Iran, and that it is not a temporary political alliance of convenience.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/816
My comment: The interpretation is biased. The West had tried to simply dry out the Houthis – giving them no other chance than looking for Iran as supporter. If the West would stop being warring party in Yemen, things would change.
(A K P)
Mohammed Abdulsalam gives interview on Yemen’s future
Ansarullah spokesman and top diplomat speaks on Palestine, Hamas and the future of peace negotiations.
He stressed that Palestine is not for sale, and that whoever stands with it is willing to pay with his blood and to offer martyrs. Abdulsalam reiterated that part of the reason for the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen, is Yemen’s staunch and principled stance on the Islamic nations, including Palestine.
Abdulsalam went on saying, “All Israeli deals are still unable to end the struggle of Palestine. Israel is still the first enemy of the Islamic Nation.”
Regarding Saudi Arabia’s declared ceasefire, Abdulsalam said it is “a lie confirmed by the unceasing war. The announced truce is a way to distract the disaffected international community from its failure.”
“Our discussions with the United Nations are continuing. They want a temporary ceasefire, while keeping our skies open to hostile aircrafts. The United Nations expresses the American and British position, so they ignore the contents of any demands such as opening our airports and ports and lifting the siege.”
“The first step to be taken, for the humanitarian situation in Yemen because of Covid-19, is the opening of airports to aid, before we can talk about a ceasefire,” Yemen’s top diplomat said.
“We do not reject honourable peace,” he affirmed. “If they offer a peace that is translated into stopping the Saudi-led aggression and lifting the siege, then we are ready for peace.”
Abdulsalam warned the coalition of aggression that the economic blockade will not continue without a response. “What goes around comes around,” he added.
https://www.uprising.today/mohammed-abdulsalam-gives-interview-on-yemens-future/
and also https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13026
(A P)
Five tons of expired foodstuffs seized in Hajjah
The Office of Industry and Trade in Hajjah province on Wednesday seized five tons of expired foodstuffs during a field campaign to supervise the markets and inspect the commercial shops in Abs district.
Director of the Industry Office in the province Mahmoud Wahban said that the seized materials were withdrawn from the market, and merchants were referred to legal procedures.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3097358.htm
(* A P)
Houthis take $54 million from joint bank account intended for civil servant salaries
Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Monday condemned the Houthis for withdrawing more than 35 billion Yemeni riyals (about $53.9 million*) from a special account in Yemen’s Central Bank branch in Hodeidah governorate, which was allocated for the salaries of civil servants.
The government’s Foreign Ministry called it a “flagrant violation” of a UN-brokered arrangement to pay civil servant salaries using fees from oil imports at the port of Hodeidah.
On April 16, the Houthis announced their intention to withdraw funds from the special account, claiming they would use the funds to pay each civil servant a quarter of their monthly wages. The Houthis at that time accused the Yemeni government of reneging on prior agreements to pay the civil servants.
On May 14, UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, briefed the UN Security Council in New York about his concerns on the use of the special account.
“My Office has repeatedly requested documentation from Ansar Allah (Houthis) that is needed to verify the Special Account activity. Indeed, I have written to the leadership to personally reiterate this request,” Griffiths said.
A few days later, the Houthis allegedly withdrew 35 billion Yemeni riyals from the account.
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/814
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-39747
(A P)
Dear #Covid19, For your honor, this parade is happening in Sanaa. We can't wait to fight you! Stay tuned world!
https://twitter.com/HanaalShowafi/status/1263079640446447617
referring to film:
(A P)
Military medical parade to face # Corona Someone understands that Corona is a virus that is not a military occupation and that you graduated with weapons Always distinct in everything
https://twitter.com/ez_aref/status/1262922158419968001
(A P)
Abdulsalam: Open on Exchange of Hamas Detainees with Saudi Pilots
Ansarullah Spokesman and the head of the National Delegation, Mohamed Abdulsalam, confirmed that Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi is monitoring the situation of Palestinian detainees, from the resistance movement, Hamas, in Saudi Arabia. He explained that the delay in implementing the initiative of Sayyed Abdulmalik is due to the Saudi side not responding.
“The delay in implementing the initiative of Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi regarding the offer to release Saudi pilots in exchange for members of Hamas being held in Saudi Arabia is due to the Saudi side lack of response,” Abdulsalam said during an exclusive interview on Almasirah Channel.
“We are open to any discussion leading to their release,” he added.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13003
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-17313.html
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13019
(A P)
Iran, Yemen Discuss Regional Developments, COVID-19
Senior Aide to the Iranian Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Asqar Khaji and Spokesman for Yemen's Ansarullah Movement Mohammed Abdul Salam in a telephone conversation discussed mutual cooperation and the latest regional developments.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990230000328
(A K P)
Mohammed al-Houthi: Inhumanity of the coalition is being clearly shown
Al-Houthi speaks on continued siege, war crimes and spread of Covid-19
Leading member in the Supreme Political Council Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has highlighted the most important requirements for the survival of all Yemenis at the current stage.
Mohammed al-Houthi said in a tweet early this morning: “The siege, the denial of entry of supplies and tests, and refusing to end the aggression is what the media and activist should now be concerned with, and should be highlighting with awareness.”
https://www.uprising.today/mohammed-al-houthi-inhumanity-of-the-coalition-is-being-clearly-shown/
Fortsetzung / Sequel: cp6 – cp18
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-653b-yemen-war-mosaic-653b
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-652-yemen-war-mosaic-652
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-652 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-652:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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