Yemen asks for 'balanced' vaccine donation at UN forum
Yemen has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the world, and suffering related to the COVID-19 pandemic is compounded by the ongoing war in the country.
Yemen’s top diplomat is pleading with the international community to send more coronavirus vaccines to war-torn Yemen.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak spoke at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on Monday. He spent much of his speech criticizing the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which is at war with the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Mubarak then turned his attention to the coronavirus pandemic in Yemen, and the country’s lack of vaccines.
“This amount is still insufficient,” said Mubarak of the vaccine doses Yemen has received so far. “We look forward to the donor countries increasing the number of vaccines.”
Yemen first received 360,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses in March via the global COVAX initiative, whereby countries donate vaccine doses to others. In June, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also sent 60,000 doses to the Socotra islands, which are controlled by its allies in the Southern Transitional Council. Mubarak thanked the donors during his speech.
