Yemen Warns of Collapse of Medical Services in Taiz Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

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

The ministry stated in a press release that the attacks are no longer limited to coastal areas but have extended to the city of Taiz and its residential neighborhoods, as well as the districts of Al-Shamayatain, Jabal Habashi, Al-Maafir, Sabir Al-Mawadim, Maqbana, and Mawza, in addition to the coastal districts.

It added that the shelling with ballistic missiles, mortar shells, and artillery, along with restrictions on movement, lack of security, displacement, and disruption of basic supplies, imposes additional pressures on a health system that is already suffering from fragility, limiting the ability of local authorities to provide essential services to civilians.

The ministry mentioned that the city of Al-Turbah in the Al-Shamayatain district was subjected to a ballistic missile attack on September 29, which hit one of the buildings of the maternity and childhood hospital under construction, causing material damage.

The neighborhoods of Al-Noor and Al-Thalathin in the city of Taiz, along with the areas of Salah and Wadi Al-Qadi east of the city, were subjected to shelling and artillery fire on September 29 and 30, which resulted, according to the ministry, in the death of a 15-year-old boy, injuring a woman, and causing damage to homes and a mosque.

The ministry stated that the shelling also targeted the village of Bani Bakari and the Al-Shuqab area in Jabal Habashi and Sabir Al-Mawadim on September 29, while a Houthi missile hit the Heijjat Al-Abd road, south of Taiz, on September 5, resulting in the death of at least four civilians and injuring nine others, according to the statement.

It pointed out that other attacks on September 3 and 4 in Al-Maqbana, Al-Mawza, and Jabal Habashi reached areas hosting displaced persons, including the Al-Rahba camp, prompting hundreds of displaced families to flee again.

The statement indicated that the intensive care unit at Al-Thawra Hospital in the city of Taiz was filled with casualties from the front lines and civilian victims, while the attacks caused damage to several health facilities.

It was reported from the World Health Organization that nine health facilities in Taiz, Lahij, and Al-Hudaydah were damaged, closed, or attacked during the current escalation.

In the Al-Shamayatayn and Jabal Habashi districts, the ministry stated that all 11 health facilities that were operating in the affected areas have stopped working, while the city of Taiz, the center of Al-Shamayatayn and the medical referral hub for the southern districts, has been subjected to ballistic missile shelling.

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

The statement added that three main health facilities in those areas have been subjected to looting and vandalism, leading to the closure of two of them and the partial shutdown of the third, while 18 other facilities have been 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 depletion of stocks of medicines, vaccines, family planning supplies, and therapeutic nutrition, as well as restrictions on the movement of personnel and medical supplies.

The ministry warned that attempts to close the Heijjat Al-Abd road, which it described as the only safe supply artery connecting Taiz to Aden and Lahij, could lead to widespread health repercussions.

The ministry stated that medicines, vaccines, medical oxygen, blood derivatives, laboratory reagents, and fuel necessary for operating hospitals and the vaccine cold chain reach Taiz via this route, and it is also relied upon by cancer patients, kidney failure patients, heart disease patients, and those with severe injuries to access specialized hospitals in Aden.

It added that the closure of the road will also hinder pregnant women from accessing emergency and maternity services, increasing the risks of malnutrition among children and the spread of diseases such as cholera, measles, and dengue fever, amid the fragility of water and sanitation networks.

Outside the areas of direct confrontations, the ministry reported that at least 14 health facilities are in urgent need of support, with three of them already suspending some of their services, while other facilities are facing increasing pressure due to the rising demand for health services amid escalating fighting and displacement.

According to the statement, the number of displaced persons in Taiz Governorate has reached 81,444, while around 158,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the escalation began, according to data conveyed by the ministry from the International Organization for Migration.

The ministry warned that the continued decline in supplies and the rising demand for essential services threaten the ability of health facilities to continue operating, cautioning that the cessation of immunization, nutrition, preventive care, and other services could lead to long-term health repercussions.

The World Health Organization reported that since the escalation began on August 6, 674 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 others injured across Yemen, while the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) verified the deaths of 15 children and injuries to 14 others since the beginning of September, according to a ministry statement.

The Ministry of Health called for the protection of facilities and healthcare workers and ensuring the delivery of medical supplies and services to the population, warning that the continued deterioration of the security situation and restrictions on movement could push the healthcare system in Taiz towards further collapse.