By Nathan Morley

For years, Yemen has been embroiled in a brutal conflict between the internationally-recognized Government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels.

It’s now thought that over 16 million people in the country are facing famine or malnutrition. The economy is in tatters, as are hospitals, schools and other infrastructure.

The impact of the coronavirus has been severe, given the lack of health facilities.

UNICEF recently warned that Yemen was teetering on the edge of collapse and "perhaps the most dangerous place on Earth to be a child."

Staggering statistics

According to figures released by the UN in December, more than 230,000 Yemenis have died due to the war, mostly because of a lack of food, health services and infrastructure.

In a separate development, the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels began a new round of UN-brokered negotiations for a prisoner exchange last weekend.

The UN called on the warring rivals to give priority to the release of all prisoners, sick and wounded detainees and those arbitrarily detained.