01 April 2020 – Yemen: Although Yemen has yet to report a positive Coronavirus case, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has kick-started our emergency response activities across the country to help prevent Coronavirus-19, including raising awareness and ensuring the safety of prisoners and prisons’ staff.

UNDP has taken immediate and quick measures to provide 3,500 handwashing stations, 2,100 hygiene kits and 15,000 gloves and masks to prisons and detentions centers, checkpoints and police stations throughout the country. We have also already mobilized our existing platforms to help keep people informed and share useful information with communities and our project workers around COVID-19 preventative measures.

Globally, the pandemic has put pressure on criminal justice systems, with increasing demands  to ensure the safety and humane conditions within correction facilities in order to prevent its spread. UNDP is working to ensure the same conditions are met in Yemen.

“We are closely monitoring the situation of the prisons in the country and are placing high priority on the issue. We have already started to support prison facilities by providing personal protection equipment and prevention education programming. And we will continue to do so to help prevent a health and humanitarian disaster from happening,” said Surayo Buzurukova, UNDP Yemen’s Team Leader for the Governance and Rule of Law Unit.

Buzurukova says, “Prevention is key to COVID-19 response in Yemen, as the health infrastructure has been heavily affected by prolonged conflicts since 2015". She added, "UNDP, together with our sister UN Agencies and local partners, will continue to support the people of Yemen in this time of urgent need. We urge national authorities to work together to overcome our common challenges and leave no one behind. Solidarity and resilience are key in defeating the Coronavirus in Yemen.”

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About the United Nations Development Programme

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency that advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We provide expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.

UNDP in Yemen aims to restore livelihoods, social cohesion, and security, reflecting minimum conditions necessary for resilience while focusing at the community level. Our priorities for Yemen include: (a) supporting a peaceful solution; (b) economic recovery; (c) restoring basic services; (d) preparing Yemen to transition from humanitarian action to development; and (e) empowerment of vulnerable groups. Read more at www.ye.undp.org  

For more information, please contact:

• Surayo Buzurukova, Team Leader for the Governance and Rule of Law Unit (Surayo.Buzurukova@undp.org)
• Leanne Rios, Team Leader for Communications and Advocacy (Leanne.Rios@undp.org)