The Yemeni government on Tuesday reported coronavirus outbreaks in three more southern provinces, taking the total number of cases in areas under its control to 65, with 10 deaths.
The government’s coronavirus committee said nine new Covid-19 cases had been confirmed, including the first for the provinces of Abyan, Al Mahra and Shabwa, where a person died.
Four more infections were reported in Aden, the government seat, taking the total there to 39.
Yemen is divided between the internationally recognised government in the south and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels from the north.
The Houthis drove the government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.
The World Health Organisation says it fears Covid-19 could rip through Yemen because the population has some of the lowest levels of immunity to disease compared with other countries.
Minimal capacity to test for the coronavirus has added to concerns.
The five-year war has shattered Yemen’s health system and left its population weakened by hunger and disease.
About 80 per cent of the population, or 24 million people, rely on humanitarian aid and 10 million are at risk of starvation.
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The government has now reported infections in seven provinces under its control, stretching from the Red Sea in the west to the Omani border in the east.
The rebels have so far reported only two infections, with one death, both in Sanaa.
The government reported Yemen’s first case on April 10 in Aden and there have been almost daily announcements of new cases in the past 12 days.
The UN said on Monday that the recent sharp rise in cases indicated the virus had been circulating undetected for weeks, increasing the likelihood of a surge.
