RIYADH, Feb 09 (INP): The World Health Organization (WHO) and in partnership with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) will launch $20.5-million program to improve the healthcare system in Yemen which experiences fallbacks in 2020 with decreased foreign help due to Covid-19 pandemic.

“Thanks to this new generous contribution from KSRelief, this initiative will contribute to providing essential health services to the Yemeni population while working with relevant stakeholders on rebuilding the health system in Yemen,” WHO Representative in Yemen Adham Ismail told Arab News.

“This new support is timely and particularly welcome as funding streams for humanitarian operations in Yemen, including the health sector, have decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ismail continued.

In September, WHO and KSRelief signed an agreement to “provide the Yemen Health Cluster with help in the form of information management, emergency operation centers and running costs for its coordination offices,” which will reach an expected 5.1 million people.

Under this agreement, the $20.5-million program will help the Yemeni population access healthcare for the year 2021, with improvements reaching 15 hospitals in priority districts among others.