The United Nations warns that Yemen could soon be placed in between two fronts -- war and a pandemic -- a situation overwhelmingly uncertain for the Yemeni people, who have been subjected for five years to a brutal military aggression led by Saudi Arabia and supported by Western powers.

Although they had initially remained free of COVID-19, the first cases have now been detected.  This raised the concern of specialists due to the severe consequences that such desease could have in the country.

The Saudi-led aggresion has almost completely destroyed the health care infrastructure and led to the displacement of millions of people to crude and unhealthy concentration camps, where they face overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and starvation.

Mark Lowcock, the U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator, noted that most inhabitants of the camps suffer from malnutrition and their immune system is suppressed, which causes them to become vulnerable to the new coronavirus.  Lowcock also warned that SARS-CoV-2 could spread rapidly in Yemen, causing more harm than in other countries.

In addition to the damage caused by the armed conflict, the Yemeni people have been affected by a cholera epidemic and have suffered severe outbreaks of measles and other diseases.  Before this imminent tragedy, UN officials made enormous efforts to achieve the ceasefire that’s been announced several times, but has never been respected.

Saudi Arabia recently announced a ceasefire, however the fighting continues, while the UN uses all the necessary resources to keep the Yemeni refugees alive.

The closure of borders in most parts of the world have paralyzed human, financial and material resources, so 31 of the 41 main programs might stop as long as the pandemic lasts.

Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy to Yemen, declared that this country desperately needs funding.  This international organization provides food every month to about 12 million people in Yemen, who could perish if these supplies are cut off.

The greed of the great powers has made Yemen a testing ground aimed at measuring the extent of disgrace and suffering that a country can experience.