Yemen warns of the collapse of medical services in Taiz with the escalation of Houthi attacks

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The Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population warned of a sharp deterioration in health services in Taiz Governorate, and said that the escalation of Houthi attacks since the beginning of September led to the closure or partial cessation of a large number of medical facilities, and a severe shortage of medicines, supplies, and personnel, with increasing risks of displacement and difficulty in accessing basic services.

The ministry said, in a press statement, that the attacks were no longer limited to the coastal areas, but rather extended to the city of Taiz and its residential neighborhoods and the districts of Al-Shamaytain, Jabal Habashi, Al-Maafer, Sabr Al-Mawadim, Maqbana and Mawza, in addition to the coastal districts.

She added that the bombardment with ballistic missiles, mortar shells, and artillery, in addition to restrictions on movement, insecurity, displacement, and disruption of basic supplies, imposes additional pressure on an already fragile health system, and limits the ability of local authorities to provide basic services to civilians.

The Ministry stated that the city of Al-Turbah in Al-Shamaytain District was subjected to a ballistic missile attack on September 29, one of which hit the Maternity and Childhood Hospital building under construction, causing material damage.

The Al-Nour and Al-Thaleen neighborhoods in the city of Taiz, along with the Salah and Wadi Al-Qadi areas east of the city, were subjected to mortar and artillery shelling on September 29 and 30, which, according to the ministry, led to the death of a 15-year-old child, the injury of a woman, and damage to homes and a mosque.

The ministry said that the bombing also targeted the village of Bani Bakari, the Al-Shaqab area in Jabal Habashi, and Sabr Al-Mawadim on September 29, while a Houthi missile hit Haijat Al-Abd Road, south of Taiz, on September 5, killing at least four civilians and wounding nine others, according to the statement.

She pointed out that other attacks during September 3 and 4 in Maqbanah, Mawaza, and Jabal Habashi reached areas hosting displaced people, including Al-Rahba camp, prompting hundreds of displaced families to flee again.

The statement stated that the intensive care unit at Al-Thawra Hospital in the city of Taiz was filled with wounded people from the fighting fronts and civilian victims, while the attacks caused damage to a number of health facilities.

The World Health Organization reported that nine health facilities in Taiz, Lahj, and Hodeidah were damaged, closed, or attacked during the current escalation.

In the Al-Shamaytain and Jabal Habashi districts, the ministry said that all 11 health facilities that were operating in the affected areas stopped working, while the city of Al-Turbah, the center of Al-Shamaytain and the medical referral hub for the southern districts, was bombed by ballistic missiles.

In the five coastal districts in Taiz, namely Al-Mokha, Dhubab, Al-Wazi’iyah, Maqbana, and Mawza, according to the ministry, only about 20% of health facilities are functioning, amid a severe shortage of medicines, medical supplies, and personnel.

The statement added that three main health facilities in those areas were looted and vandalized, which led to the closure of two of them and the third to partially stop, while 18 other facilities were closed due to restrictions imposed on vaccination services and access to family planning supplies, in addition to the depletion of medical stocks and unsafe working conditions.

The Ministry warned that more than 45 other health facilities are at risk of closure or suspension of work due to the exhaustion of stocks of medicines, vaccines, family planning supplies, and therapeutic nutrition, as well as restrictions imposed on the movement of medical personnel and supplies.

The ministry warned that the attempt to close the Haijat al-Abd road, which it described as the only safe supply artery linking Taiz to Aden and Lahj, could lead to widespread health repercussions.

She said that medicines, vaccines, medical oxygen, blood products, laboratory reagents, and the fuel needed to operate hospitals and the vaccine cold chain reach Taiz via this road, and patients with cancer, kidney failure, heart disease, and severe injuries also depend on it to reach specialized hospitals in Aden.

She added that closing the road will also hinder pregnant women's access to emergency and obstetric services, and will increase the risk of child malnutrition and the spread of diseases such as cholera, measles, and dengue fever, in light of the fragility of water and sanitation networks.

Outside the areas of direct confrontation, the Ministry said that at least 14 health facilities need urgent support, and that three of them have already suspended some of their services, while other facilities face increasing pressure due to the high demand for health services with the escalation of fighting and displacement.

According to the statement, the number of displaced people in Taiz Governorate reached 81,444 people, while about 158,000 people were displaced throughout Yemen since the start of the escalation, according to data transmitted by the ministry from the International Organization for Migration.

The Ministry said that the continued decline in supplies and the high demand for basic services threaten the ability of health facilities to continue working, warning that stopping immunization, nutrition, preventive care and other services may lead to long-term health repercussions.

It stated that, since the start of the escalation on August 6, the World Health Organization has documented the killing of 674 people and the injury of about 3,000 others across Yemen, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has verified the killing of 15 children and the injury of 14 others since the beginning of September, according to the ministry’s statement.

The Ministry of Health called for protecting health facilities and workers and ensuring that medical supplies and services reach the population, warning that the continued deterioration of the security situation and restrictions on movement may push the health system in Taiz to further collapse.