The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 1,265 on Sunday, after 17 new ones were confirmed.

Meanwhile during the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas increased to 552 since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on April 10, the Yemeni Health Ministry said in a brief press statement.

The ministry also announced that the death toll from the respiratory disease climbed to 338 in different areas under its control, including the southern port city of Aden.

The Yemeni government has taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including imposing a partial overnight curfew in Aden and other major cities under its control.

The government called on donors and relevant international humanitarian organizations to provide support to help contain the pandemic.

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 the capital Sanaa.