IRC's estimated numbers are based on modeling and data produced by Imperial College London and the World Health Organization.
"What we are seeing in Yemen is unlike any tragedy witnessed before. COVID-19 is ripping through the country. We can't even say how many people have it, because Yemen's health system has effectively collapsed, and the country has extremely limited testing capacity," Tamuna Sabadze, IRC Yemen country director said.
"While bombs and airstrikes continue, we cannot control the pandemic and address the humanitarian needs of Yemenis. It is time the world wakes up and acts." Sabadze added.
Yemen has been mired in political unrest and armed conflict, which intensified in early 2015. Houthi rebels -- a minority Shia group from the north of the country -- drove out the US-backed government and took over the capital, Sanaa. The crisis quickly escalated into a multi-sided war, with neighboring Saudi Arabia leading a coalition of Gulf states against the Houthi rebels.