Travelers from Ibb governorate in southern Yemen said the Houthi measures imposed to restrict access to areas under their control have nothing to do with the prevention of coronavirus.

Last week the Houthis closed most of the roads in central Yemen that link their territory with areas under the control of Yemen’s internationally recognized government under the pretext of restricting the potential spread of COVID-19.

One of the travelers, Abdulsalam Al-Ghurbani, a former captain at Ibb Sports Club, was returning to his hometown when he was caught in the road closures. His family was marooned in the market area along with thousands of other people.

"I am trapped in Al-Malagam before Rada’a city in Al-Baydha governorate for four days now, without bathrooms, without drinking water or washing facilities and rooms," he said. "We sleep in the open, in cars and buses. The situation is worse than catastrophic."

Al-Ghurbani emphasized that the concentration of people in one area puts a majority of people at risk of contracting the infection.

"If one of them gets infected, it could spread to others. It would have been better to transfer everyone to their own governorates, and they would be in self-isolation at home as long as they have housing, bathrooms and accessible areas for women," he said.

He pointed out the stupidity of the Houthis, who didn't understand the meaning of quarantine. He said that those in isolation should not mix with the elderly parents for a specific duration of time. 

"Has the life of Yemenis become so cheap?” He asked.

"We told the Houthis to take women, families, and children to respectable places -  a hotel, a hospital, or even a school where humanitarian services are available," he said, adding that the Houthis lack morals and humanity. 

"You will understand our tragedy only if your mother, sister, wife, or daughters are suffering from illnesses such as diabetes, blood pressure and rheumatism," he lamented.