UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2020) The United Nations believes the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Yemen does not reflect the actual severity of the outbreak in that country given the alarming 24 percent COVID-19-related fatality rate, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Friday.
Yemen has so far reported 591 novel coronavirus cases and 136 COVID-19-related deaths, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University.
"The [UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] notes that these numbers are not representative of the true severity of the outbreak," Dujarric said. "Yemen's health system does not have adequate capacity to test all suspected cases. All indications point to the rapid spread of the virus across Yemen. The case fatality rate observed is alarmingly high - 24 percent."
Dujarric noted the COVID-19 death toll in Yemen is about four times higher than the fatality rate worldwide.
While humanitarian actors do all they can to assist Yemen combat the outbreak, they lack the funding needed to continue running existing programs.
"More than 30 of the 41 UN-supported programs in Yemen will close in the coming weeks if additional funds are not secured," Dujarric said.
The United Nations is calling on all donors to urgently fulfill their pledges made at the conference earlier in the month and consider increasing support, Dujarric added.
