The Houthi escalation exacerbates the collapse of health... 17 thousand cases of cholera and dengue

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The military escalation launched by the terrorist Houthi militia has exacerbated the pressure on the health sector in Yemen, at a time when the World Health Organization is warning against pushing the fragile health system into further deterioration, coinciding with the recording of more than 17,000 cases of cholera and dengue fever and 59 deaths, according to data contained in the latest health assessment.

The international organization said that violence, displacement, damage to health facilities, and a shortage of personnel and medicines impede residents’ access to basic services, while only about 60% of health facilities in the country are fully operational.

The pressures on hospitals increased as limited medical capabilities were diverted to dealing with escalation injuries, while health facilities were damaged or stopped in areas affected by the fighting, threatening a decline in basic care services, especially for displaced people, children and women.

The World Health Organization warned that overcrowding in displacement sites, coupled with a lack of safe water and sanitation services, increases the risk of the spread of diseases and epidemics.

She stressed that cholera and dengue fever remain among the most prominent health challenges in Yemen, in light of the weak response capacity and lack of funding.

The World Health Organization estimates its needs for the health response in Yemen during 2026 at about $38.8 million, amid continuing funding gaps that threaten to reduce medical services.

Thus, the impact of the escalation is not limited to direct losses, but extends to the depletion of a health system already suffering from years of war and collapse, which raises the risk of displacement, deterioration of services, and unsafe water becoming additional factors for the spread of diseases in the affected areas.