Yemen Has Turned into a Mass Grave and a Humanitarian Catastrophe: Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health and Population, on Saturday, revealed catastrophic figures regarding the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen caused by the Saudi-led war and blockade against the Yemeni people since March 2015.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Dr. Abdul Hakim al-Kuhlani said during a press conference held in the capital Sana’a, that more than 55% of hospitals and health centers went out of work due to the direct aggression against them.
Al-Kuhlani stressed that according to the Ministry’s non-final estimates, the economic blockade imposed on Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition led to the death of more than 14 thousand patients, indicating that more than 95 thousand patients need to travel abroad for medical treatment.
More than half a million Yemeni children suffer from malnutrition due to the war and siege, the ministry spokesman said.
More than 800,000 people have been affected by the cholera epidemic since late April, he said, confirming the death of more than 2,000 people to date in an endless toll of the epidemic.
Furthermore, the ministry spokesman said that according to the ministry’s non-final estimates, the losses inflicted by the health system resulting from the hostile attacks launched by the coalition are more than 8 billion dollars.
He pointed out that the medicines and medical supplies that come to Yemen are being hindered by the Saudi-led coalition in Djibouti for months, leading to their expiration.
The war waged by the Saudi-led coalition and the logistical and intelligence support of the United States and Britain, accompanied by a land, air and sea blockade imposed on Yemen, has turned the country into a mass grave and a humanitarian catastrophe that threatens the lives of millions who can no longer meet their basic needs such as food, water and medicine.
According to independent human rights reports, air strikes have killed and injured more than 35,000 civilians, forced nearly 3 million people to escape and become displaced, thereby live in tragic conditions. Moreover, the airstrikes directly caused the spread of diseases and epidemics such as cholera and meningitis, as well as malnutrition currently threatening 2 million Yemeni children.
The reports confirmed that thousands of air raids conducted by the warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
It is noteworthy that despite the disastrous situation in Yemen as a result of the war and siege, silence is the master of the position of the international community, which obeyed the wishes of Saudi wealth, in flagrant violation of the principles of human rights.