ADEN, Yemen, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Local humanitarian organizations on Saturday continued to launch awareness campaigns in various war-ravaged Yemeni areas about preventive measures against COVID-19.
In the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah which is witnessing sporadic fighting between Yemen's government forces and Houthi rebels, a humanitarian campaign began educating the local people in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
In some residential areas controlled by the government forces in Hodeidah, several humanitarian volunteers distributed posters and leaflets containing basic information about preventing coronavirus transmission.
Hundreds of local residents and street vendors in the turbulent district of Tuhyata of Hodeidah were provided with medical masks, gloves and disinfectants.
"For the third consecutive day, we are visiting the residential neighborhoods in Hodeidah and began teaching people about methods of prevention, sterilization, and personal hygiene to avoid COVID-19 pandemic," said Sadam Saif, a member of the anti-coronavirus awareness campaign.
Vehicles of the medical department toured a number of streets in the government-controlled areas in Hodeidah and alerted people about the dangers of gathering in crowded markets and the importance of following the instructions of the local authorities.
The anti-coronavirus awareness campaigns were met with a popular satisfaction, cooperation and positive interaction by the local citizens living in Hodeidah's war-ravaged areas.
So far, the coronavirus in Yemen is showing no alarming sign, but coping with the potential pandemic will not be easy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.
The United Nations is pushing for a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen to prepare for combating the coronavirus outbreak.
The civil war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 3 million and pushed more than 20 million to the verge of famine.
Last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Yemeni warring parties to "immediately cease hostilities, focus on reaching a negotiated political settlement and do everything possible to counter a potential outbreak of COVID-19."
However, the fighting has since continued escalating on multiple frontlines. Enditem
