Health Ministry: ‘Continued blockade fuels humanitarian, health crisis in Yemen’

The Sanaa-based Yemen’s Ministry of Health and Environment said on Tuesday the continued blockade of Sanaa International Airport, which it attributes to Saudi Arabia, has had severe and far-reaching consequences for the country’s health sector and humanitarian situation, particularly after more than 11 years of restrictions.

In a statement, the ministry said the blockade has significantly limited the delivery of life-saving medical supplies and humanitarian assistance.

It added that thousands of patients requiring specialized treatment unavailable inside Yemen have lost the opportunity to travel abroad for medical care, with many dying as a result.

The ministry’s statement argued that the indirect effects of the conflict exceed the direct damage, citing the difficulty of measuring the impact of prolonged shortages of medicines and healthcare services.

It also accused the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations of scaling back their activities, which it said has led to the suspension of health and nutrition programs, rising maternal and child mortality, worsening malnutrition approaching famine conditions, and reduced access to medicines for patients with chronic illnesses.

According to the statement, the aggression and blockade have deprived women and children of access to essential healthcare, while attacks on health facilities and the spread of infectious diseases have further strained the healthcare system.

It said nearly 17 million people are experiencing acute hunger, while more than 3.6 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, including 630,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition. Of those, around 400,000 children face a life-threatening risk of starvation.

The statement added that more than 20 million Yemenis lack access to basic healthcare services and cited a severe shortage of medical personnel due to the migration of thousands of healthcare workers and the deaths of others during the conflict.

Patients suffering from chronic illnesses—including cancer, kidney failure, and diabetes—face as a slow death because of interruptions in treatment. It warned that the figures point to an escalating humanitarian catastrophe under the continuing blockade.

The statement reported 12,988,378 recorded cases of communicable diseases, including 1,776 deaths, from 2024 through the 45th epidemiological week of 2025, and estimated direct damage to the health sector at more than $7 billion.

The ministry called on the international community to guarantee the Yemeni people’s right to life, healthcare, food, and medicine, describing these as fundamental human rights that should not be restricted for political or military reasons. It said lifting the blockade and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid is a legal, moral, and humanitarian responsibility of the international community and aid organizations.

The ministry’s statement also welcomed the armed forces’ announcement of a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia under the declared blockade for blockade policy, expressing support for restrictions on Saudi ports in response to Saudi Arabia’s military campaign and blockade of Yemen over the past 12 years.