SANAA: Yemen’s already fragile healthcare system is facing severe pressure as fighting intensifies across parts of the country, with Yemeni doctors and international medical organizations warning that prolonged conflict could force medical services to shut down completely in some areas.
According to the United Nations, 4,481 people were killed or injured in Yemen between August 6 and September 29, including 838 deaths.
The recent escalation has displaced more than 130,000 people, adding further pressure on hospitals and primary healthcare facilities that were already operating with limited resources.
The World Health Organization has previously reported that only around 60 percent of Yemen’s healthcare facilities were fully operational. Several facilities have now been damaged or forced to close amid the latest fighting.
Hospitals are also facing shortages of essential supplies, including medicines, oxygen, fuel, blood and surgical equipment. In some locations, maternity wards have reportedly been converted into emergency units to treat people injured in the fighting.
The conflict is also increasing the risk of malnutrition, cholera, measles and other diseases among children, further straining the country’s healthcare system.
According to UNICEF, more than 2,900 children were screened in accessible areas in recent weeks, with over one-quarter found to be suffering from severe malnutrition.
Doctors and humanitarian organizations have warned that continued fighting could further restrict access to essential healthcare and put vulnerable communities, particularly children, at greater risk.