The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Yemen spiked by nine Tuesday, bringing the war-torn country’s total to 21.
The uptick comes amid warnings from experts and officials who fear that Yemen could be disproportionately devastated by the impacts of the virus within its borders.
Three people have died from the virus, including two men who were believed to be brothers.
Eight of the new cases were reported in the southern city of Aden, while the ninth was reported in the Hadhramaut region that spans from the border with Saudi Arabia to the Gulf of Aden, according to Yemen’s supreme national emergency committee.
Despite the lower totals, the United Nations has cautioned that there is a “very real probability” that the virus could be spreading undetected among local communities due to inadequate testing resources.
Yemen has been trapped in a devastating five-year civil war that has decimated the country’s infrastructure and killed more than 100,000, sparking a humanitarian crisis.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen nearly a month ago unilaterally declared a ceasefire in an effort to support U.N. and global measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country and ultimately broker a peace agreement.
But the Houthi rebels have launched coalition airstrikes and ground fighting after dismissing the efforts.
Last month, U.S. officials announced preparations for a “substantial” aid package to help Yemen in their fight against the coronavirus, but it may be forced to circumvent the World Health Organization after President Trump vowed to freeze funding to the U.N.-backed agency over its handling of the outbreak.
