War-torn Yemen reports first coronavirus case

Yemen reported its first case of coronavirus Friday in a southern government-controlled province, raising fears of an outbreak in the war-torn country as air strikes blamed on the Saudi-led coalition tested a unilateral truce.

The announcement came on the second day of the two-week ceasefire declared by the military coalition supporting the government in what it said was a move to help fight the pandemic.

"The first confirmed case of coronavirus has been reported in Hadramawt province," Yemen's supreme national emergency committee for COVID-19 said on Twitter.

The committee, run by the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, said the infected patient was in stable condition and receiving care.

"The case is in isolation and treatment, all known contacts are being traced and quarantined," the World Health Organization said on Twitter. "WHO is working closely with (the health ministry) to ensure further rapid containment measures are taken."

Aid groups have warned that when the coronavirus hits Yemen's broken healthcare system, the impact is likely to be catastrophic for a country already in the grip of what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

"This is a moment we all feared, and were hoping to avoid, because Yemen is critically under-equipped to face this virus," said Xavier Joubert, country director for Save the Children in Yemen.

"Only half of Yemen's health facilities are still fully functional. There are 700 intensive care unit beds, including 60 for children, and 500 ventilators for a population of about 30 million."

Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed over the past five years in the war between the coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who control large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa.

Millions have also been displaced and diseases including cholera are widespread due to the scarcity of clean water.

Yemeni pro-government forces and Huthi rebels reported several air raids in the northern districts of Al-Jawf and Hajjah despite the coalition's unilateral ceasefire which began on Thursday. The coalition raids "targeted Huthi vehicles after they rejected the ceasefire and were attempting to attack government positions", a pro-government source told AFP.