Yemen Ceasefire Expires as Fears of Coronavirus Grow

Saudi Arabia’s two week unilateral ceasefire has come to an end, expiring in the middle of more substantial fighting which marks the effort as a failure, and amid complaints it was never really a proper ceasefire in the first place.

Concern in Yemen was squarely on coronavirus when the truce was declared, and is even more so at this point, as fighting continues and there is little sign that there is any serious deal to get more humanitarian aid into the war-torn country.

The aid trouble was a big problem with the ceasefire in the first place, as while the Saudis stopped fighting on the ground, they did not end the naval blockade which has for years kept aid out of Yemen. This led the Houthis to argue that it was no ceasefire at all, as Saudi warships were still actively blocking aid.

Covid-19 is still only a small presence in Yemen, but if it starts to spread, this is one of the nations least able to handle the pandemic. Short supply in the healthcare system has killed many Yemenis, and led to unprecedented cholera outbreaks.