The spokesman for Yemen’s Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr. Anis Al-Asbahi, warned that the ongoing aggression and blockade by the Israeli enemy for more than a decade have triggered the country’s largest humanitarian catastrophe, with the health sector suffering severe direct and indirect targeting.
In exclusive remarks to Al-Masirah, Dr. Al-Asbahi said: “The aggression and blockade for over ten years have caused the gravest humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The health system has been among the most heavily targeted sectors—directly by attacks and indirectly by the blockade.”
He added that direct assaults on healthcare facilities have rendered 55 percent of the sector non-operational, noting that the Israeli enemy destroyed more than 375 clinics and hospitals completely, while 135 healthcare facilities were partially damaged.
Dr. Al-Asbahi highlighted the impact on children, stating that 3.5 million children suffer from severe malnutrition, including over 600,000 cases of acute critical malnutrition. He condemned the Israeli enemy’s restrictive measures, which obstructed 83 companies and importers providing 1,329 essential medicines.
The official also accused the enemy of using internationally prohibited weapons, resulting in the widespread outbreak of diseases, with nearly 13 million cases of epidemic illnesses recorded in a single year.
Regarding urgent medical needs abroad, Dr. Al-Asbahi reported that more than 3,000 children require treatment for heart defects, alongside 1,000 cases needing corneal transplants. He stressed that US pressure on humanitarian organizations to withdraw from Yemen has further worsened the country’s health and humanitarian conditions.
