The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Yemen said yesterday that the country has no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.

The WHO office in Yemen wrote on Twitter that in coordination with the Ministry of Health it has supported the establishment of a quarantine facility in the city of Aden to ensure “preparedness and response in the event a case is confirmed.”

Yemeni authorities have taken a number of preventive measures to confront the coronavirus outbreak, including suspending schools, closing ground and air outlets, and issuing directions to stop prayers in mosques.

Several international health organisations, including Doctors without Borders and WHO, have previously warned that lack of access to clean water and soap in Yemen hinders efforts to confront the coronavirus and threatens the lives of millions.