The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled areas increased to 193 on Thursday, as 13 new cases were confirmed.

The Yemeni Health Ministry said in a brief statement that the number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas increased to five since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on April 10.

Also, the government announced four more deaths from the deadly respiratory disease, bringing the death toll in the areas under its control to 33.

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.

The Houthi health authorities in the capital Sanaa declared on May 16 that a total of four COVID-19 cases were recorded in the Houthi-controlled areas in northern Yemen, including one death.

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.