As coronavirus spreads, UN seeks nationwide ceasefire in Yemen

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has engaged in talks with the country's warring parties to secure a nationwide ceasefire amid fears of the spread of the new coronavirus in the war-ravaged impoverished Arab nation. 

Griffiths' office said in a statement on Thursday that he was in regular contact with both parties "on reaching agreements on a nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic measures to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people". 

Griffiths, it said, is in daily consultations aimed at bringing the warring sides together in "virtual" negotiations as soon as possible.

The official said the process further aims to foster joint efforts to counter the threat of COVID-19. 

Griffiths said he hoped the consultations can be soon completed and deliver what Yemenis expect, demand and deserve. 

While Yemen has not recorded any COVID-19 cases to date, the possibility of an outbreak threatens the war-ravaged country’s already fragile healthcare system.

An outbreak of the coronavirus is set to put an even bigger strain on the already hampered health services and the work of aid workers.

The Saudi-led military campaign has already put the impoverished country in the throes of epidemics, most notably cholera. 

US cuts healthcare aid to Yemen despite fears of coronavirus

The United States has cut off millions of dollars for healthcare programs and other aid in Yemen amid fears of the spread of the new coronavirus in the impoverished Arab nation.

The situation is dire in Yemen where the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) have failed to open a humanitarian medical air bridge for civilians suffering from conditions that cannot be treated inside the country.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing back to power the government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and crushing the Ansarullah movement.

The military campaign and a Saudi naval blockade have killed hundreds of thousands of people and plunged Yemen into the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Saudi-led coalition launches fresh airstrikes on Yemen

Saudi warplanes have launched several airstrikes on Yemen’s capital Sana’a, leaving at least one dead and two others wounded.

Humanitarian and aid groups fear that the Yemeni population, weakened by hunger and packed into refugee camps, would be further decimated by the coronavirus.

Since the start of Saudi war on Yemen, more than 3.6 million people have been driven from their homes. An estimated 80 percent of the population - 24 million - requires some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need. 

The Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending Yemen against the Saudi aggression, has recently welcomed a call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for a ceasefire in all conflicts worldwide amid the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Yemen’s Ansarullah welcomes UN call for global ceasefire to tackle coronavirus pandemic

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement welcomes a request by the UN chief for a global ceasefire to help the world better focus on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen, said in a tweet on Monday that Sana’a welcomes the UN chief’s call and supports a halt in attacks by the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies against Yemen.

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