Millions of children in Yemen could be pushed to the “brink of starvation” as humanitarian aid dries up during the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned in a new report.

Thirty thousand children could suffer life-threatening malnutrition in the next six months and the overall number of malnourished children under the age of five could rise to 2.4 million, said the report released today. Yemen has been ravaged by a war (AP) between a Saudi Arabia–led military coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015. The coronavirus is straining the country’s already shattered health system (Reuters); cholera, malaria, and dengue were rampant before the coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus infections are likely much higher than the roughly one thousand cases officially reported.

Authorities raided a lawmaker’s home while investigating allegations that Chinese government agents infiltrated his office to influence Australian politics (SMH). The probe comes amid souring Australia-China relations.
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Vietnam: Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussed the establishment of a coronavirus response fund and long-standing tensions in the South China Sea during a virtual summit meeting today (AP). ASEAN members, including Vietnam, and the United States have criticized China for aggressive actions in the disputed waters.

This CFR Backgrounder explains ASEAN.

India requested the quick delivery of missiles, ammunition, and assault rifles (Economic Times) from Russia amid border tensions with China. Moscow also plans to speed up delivery of its S-400 air defense system, according to Russian media.
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Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan drew criticism for calling Osama bin Laden a “martyr” (RFE/RL) during a speech to Parliament.

Iranian officials are investigating a huge explosion (NYT) that occurred near a major military and weapons-development base near Tehran. A defense ministry spokesperson called it a gas explosion, but military analysts questioned whether it was an accident or sabotage.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that lasted nearly two years and killed at least 2,280 people (WaPo) is over, the country’s health minister said. It was the second-largest Ebola outbreak in the world and the tenth outbreak in the DRC.

Kenya: Police in the western city of Lesos killed three people (Al Jazeera) protesting a motorcycle taxi driver’s arrest for violating coronavirus restrictions. The police inspector general ordered the arrest of the officers involved in the shooting.
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CFR’s Jendayi E. Frazer explains why African countries support U.S. anti-racism protests.

Coronavirus cases in Europe are on the rise (BBC) as countries move to relax restrictions, a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned. Thirty countries have seen an increase in cases over the past two weeks, with a “very significant resurgence” in eleven countries and territories, the official said.
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Belgium: The country moved to curb the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment (Politico), which the United States has pressured its allies to do. The issue is sensitive for Belgium because it hosts the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the main European Union institutions.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will meet with U.S. President Donald J. Trump early next month to celebrate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement taking effect (Politico). It will be Lopez Obrador’s first trip abroad as president and his first time meeting Trump.
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Argentina: The government has reached an “understanding” with one group of creditors in its bid to restructure $65 billion in debt (Buenos Aires Times), the economy minister said, but major differences remain with another group.

The Trump administration reaffirmed its position that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is illegal (NPR) in a filing with the Supreme Court. The government argued that the ACA must “fall” because Congress removed the so-called individual mandate, the penalty for not having health insurance.