Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital, slipped into violence last month when the Southern Transitional Council announced self-rule in Aden, disrupting the return of the internationally recognized government and bringing efforts to fight the spread of the virus to a standstill. The council’s last move to impose a complete lockdown in Aden has failed as people flocked the streets. In Sanaa and other densely populated provinces in northern Yemen, Yemeni government officials and residents have attacked the Houthis for being secretive about the number of coronavirus cases in areas under their control amid reports of hundreds of patients with severe respiratory problems swamping hospitals. Residents in Sanaa told Arab News that squads of armed Houthi men had sprung up in some districts, sealing off streets and ordering people to stay indoors as workers in vehicles and on foot disinfected streets. “They blocked Hayl market and Jamal and Sanena streets for two days,” a resident told Arab News on condition of anonymity for fear of Houthi reprisals. “We are worried that there might be so many unannounced cases,” the resident said, adding that Sanaa’s streets were bustling with people and vehicles. Amateur videos posted on social media on Monday showed armed men blocking a street in Sanaa as an ambulance took away a patient. Healthcare workers in Sanaa who spoke to friends outside Yemen or to local media outlets said that most of the suspected coronavirus cases have been taken to Kuwait hospital as rebels pressure doctors not to disclose information. Doctors in Sanaa did not respond to calls from Arab News. Yemeni politicians warned that without sharing information and capabilities between health offices across Yemen, none of the Yemeni warring factions would be able to stem the spread of the disease in their territories. “Neither the Houthis nor the Transitional (council) or the government can cope with the disaster without communication and exchange of information between their health institutions,” Mustapha Noman, a former deputy foreign minister, said on Twitter on Tuesday.