Exclusive – 7 UN Agency Employees in Yemen Die from COVID-19, Dozens Infected

A health worker wearing a protective suit disinfects a market amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)
A health worker wearing a protective suit disinfects a market amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)
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Exclusive – 7 UN Agency Employees in Yemen Die from COVID-19, Dozens Infected

A health worker wearing a protective suit disinfects a market amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)
A health worker wearing a protective suit disinfects a market amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)

Informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that seven employees at United Nations agencies in Yemen have died from the novel coronavirus.

Three sources from UN offices said that two workers at an agency in the Saada province passed away from the disease. They had been transported to Sanaa for treatment, but doctors there could not save them.

Three other workers, stationed in Sanaa, also died. They included a driver and a doctor.

Two other UN agency employees in the central Ibb province also succumbed to COVID-19.

Ibb had emerged as the second cluster for the virus. The first is the capital Sanaa, which is controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Another source said dozens of UN agency employees have contracted the virus.

One more source said the UN has not disclosed official figures about the infections and fatalities at its agencies.

It also revealed that it does not have the authority to force the Houthis to disclose the accurate number of infections and victims.

It estimated however, that around a million Yemenis have contracted the virus and that the number of victims was being largely underreported.



UK Police Arrest Two Men over Alleged Hezbollah Links

A protester holding a flag of Lebanon's Hezbollah during a demonstration in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. AP Photo/Emrah Gurel
A protester holding a flag of Lebanon's Hezbollah during a demonstration in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. AP Photo/Emrah Gurel
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UK Police Arrest Two Men over Alleged Hezbollah Links

A protester holding a flag of Lebanon's Hezbollah during a demonstration in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. AP Photo/Emrah Gurel
A protester holding a flag of Lebanon's Hezbollah during a demonstration in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

British counter-terrorism police said on Thursday they had arrested two men accused of being linked to the banned group Hezbollah, saying their investigation involved alleged activity both overseas and in Britain.

Detectives from London's Counter Terrorism Command (CTC) arrested a 39-year-old man in north London on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed group, preparing acts of terrorism and being involved in funding for the purposed of terrorism, Reuters said.

A second man, 35, was arrested in west London on suspicion of being a member of a banned organization.

"Our investigation remains ongoing, but I hope that these arrests show we will take robust action against anyone here whom we suspect as being involved in terrorist activity regardless of whether their activity is focused here in the UK or elsewhere," said commander Dominic Murphy, head of the CTC.

Police said the investigation related to the Iran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah which Britain outlawed in 2019 when it classified it as a terrorist group. There was no immediate threat to the public, they said.

The two men were released on police bail until mid-July.