Yemen, made vulnerable by more than five years of war, is ill-equipped to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health problem is exacerbated by warring factions, who downplay the threat of the pandemic even as Yemeni hospitals — and graveyards — are crowded with victims.
Sana’a resident Hisham al-Omeisy live-tweeted the television address of the rebel leader whose forces have taken control of Yemen’s capital. He says Western media are overreacting, and that for many Yemenis the Houthi takeover is more business as usual than a big event.