Yemen’s Houthis block information on pandemic: HRW

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels of blocking and suppressing information on the coronavirus outbreak in the war-torn country.

"Houthi officials have actively spread disinformation about the virus and vaccines,” the New York-based rights group said in a statement.

The rights watchdog also accused Houthis of hindering and undermining "international efforts to provide vaccines in areas under their control”.

There is a "deliberate decision of the Houthi authorities to keep the real number of cases of COVID-19 under wraps and their opposition to vaccines are putting Yemeni lives at risk,” said Michael Page, HRW's deputy Middle East director.

According to HRW, Houthi health authorities reported only one fatality and four infections from COVID-19 since early 2021.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the accusation.

As of 31 March, Yemenis have received 360,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine as the first batch of 1.9 million doses the war-ravaged nation is supposed to receive in 2021.

Over the 7-year conflict in Yemen, the health sector in the country has been close to collapse amid the ongoing fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government forces.

According to UN estimates, the ongoing conflict in Yemen left almost 80% of the Yemeni people depending on international humanitarian aid.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara