Real story by one passenger stranded on his way home

I just finished my PhD program in Information Technology abroad and packed my luggage for returning home. I have been away from home for almost two years. I’m missing my wife and my children so much and dream them every night. I had a great expectation on this journey to see my family. While en route, news on preventive measures against the COVID-19 were frequently making the headlines. Several countries suspended incoming and outgoing international flights and others placed the entire population in lockdown. Yemen, my home country remained free of any identified COVID-19 according to statements by health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). Yet, Yemen followed the suit and suspended incoming and outgoing flights to its ports, suspended education and recently banned mass gatherings at mosques to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak.

I thought that I was lucky that I entered the country before closure of land borders became effective. I took a road trip on a bus to continue the journey to my hometown in northern part of the country.   However, something that I never thought of happened. A Houthis-manned checkpoint in Affar of Al-Baida in central Yemen, stopped the bus and denied entry to everyone coming from the government-held area. The country has been divided since 2015 by forces loyal to the President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi and the Houthis-affiliated forces.

The Houthis closed land entries to their held areas against passengers coming from the government-held territory claiming prevention of the coronavirus which is known as COVID-19. However, the Houthis did not provide any quarantine facility to the stranded citizens. We remained on board of the bus for two days. During these two days, one pregnant woman aborted and died in the bus. Another old woman died when she saw one security man hitting her son’s face with the butt of his gun. The woman was suffering hypertension and diabetes.

On the third detention-day, they took me and other thousands of travels from the road to public schools in Rada’a city with no protective measures against the COVID-19. I’m detained along with more than 300 citizens including men, women and kids in one of these schools. I have one small blanket, I don't know where to put it, under my body to insulate the cold floor or to cover my body. Several difficult nights have been passed with o response to our request to get mattress. Between10-20 persons stay in one room. We demanded to get masks and hand sanitizers, which should be obtained once we entered the school.

It is here a detention site rather than a quarantine. All necessities do not exist. The most difficult time here is when you feel you want to go to the toilet. Imagine that you always think about bathroom before you drink water or eat food. So, many people here eat and drink less to reduce the need to the bathroom use. We forgot about shower; it is not important right now. We are obliged to stay for two weeks with no shower. In this school, 320 citizens share eight toilet rooms, without shower. 40 people must share one toilet room  where they stand in long crowded lines to use the toilet.

Unfortunately, people here gather three time a day. They gather for their meals, gather for their turn to use the toilet, and gather to see visitors and officials.

 Chances of the virus spread are higher since one infected person will spread it to others during the gathering. Much worse would be if a person with COVID-19 infection identified one day before we finish the detention period, probability to catch the infection would be higher and will appear two weeks later after everyone had left the place. This measure that was intended to prevent the virus spread will only maximize chances for the COVID-19 outbreak rather than prevention.