Yemen faces third wave of COVID-19 in the heat of war and with 99% of population unvaccinated

Yemen faces third wave of COVID-19 infections with 99% of its unvaccinated population, denounced this Wednesday Oxfam Intermón, which criticized the international community is “failing” the Yemeni people who need vaccines “now”.

Recorded COVID-19 cases and death rates from the disease they increased by 420% last month. From these figures are excluded the “infinite” deaths of people at home due to the lack of tests and beds in hospitals.

In addition, in the official death toll from COVID-19 in Yemen, 1649, also does not include Yemenis living in the north of the country, where such data is not available.

Oxfam also pointed out that, despite the promises of COVAX, the mechanism which aims to ensure equity in vaccines to low and middle income countries, to achieve immunization of at least 23% of the population of these nations of here the end of the year, Less than one percent of the 30.5 million Yemenis have received a dose of the vaccine, while 0.05% are on the full regimen. COVAX delivered 511,000 doses out of the 4.2 million committed in Yemen.

“Yemen has one of the World’s Highest COVID-19 Death RatesHe just cannot fight this virus, ”insisted Oxfam Yemen director Muhsin Siddiquey, who focused on the fact that the conflict has decimated Yemen’s already fragile health system.

In addition, he recalled that many people are “weak“Because they cannot guarantee enough food or they cannot buy basic medicines. “Others are unable to bear the cost of transport to health centers due to the current fuel crisis.“, added.

“Vaccination is a simple solution that can save lives, but the international community is letting down the Yemeni people who need doses now,” said Siddiquey, calling it “shameful” that rich countries that have already guaranteed supplies. of all your population, such as like UK or Germany, “Block solutions that would share the rights to these vaccines so that they can be produced for more countries, like Yemen. “

“Protecting lives should be more important than protecting the profits of the pharmaceutical companies which have already made billions from this crisis”, riveted.

(With EP information)

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