The health system in Yemen is facing mounting pressures with the expansion of the Houthi escalation, and the influx of tens of thousands of displaced people across 8 governorates, at a time when the ability of medical facilities to deal with infections and emergency needs is declining, amid warnings of the high risk of the spread of epidemic diseases as a result of overcrowding and the disruption of basic services.
The World Health Organization is intensifying its preparations to confront further deterioration in the health and humanitarian situation, warning that displacement, overcrowding, and disruption of basic health services may lead to an increased risk of the spread of cholera, acute watery diarrhoea, measles, dengue fever, and diphtheria, in addition to worsening malnutrition.
In its latest report, the organization reported that more than 18,000 suspected cases of measles have been reported since the beginning of this year, including 106 deaths related to the disease, in addition to 390 cases of diphtheria and 13 deaths.
Marib Governorate bears the greatest burden in terms of the total number of victims, according to the data contained in the report, with 1,690 cases, followed by Taiz and the Western Coast with 1,349 cases. Lahj also emerged as the most active front during the recent period covered by the report, with 284 infections recorded between 13 and 18 September. This has placed additional pressure on hospitals, trauma services and medical referral systems.
The organization confirmed that the recent escalation led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people across 8 governorates, many of them from families that had previously suffered displacement. This makes it more difficult for them to obtain basic health care.
The wave of new needs comes at a time when the Yemeni health system is struggling to meet existing needs. Of the 5,415 health service delivery units that were evaluated in terms of readiness and operation, 60 percent of them are operating at full capacity, while 35 percent are operating partially, while 4 percent have stopped working completely.
Comprehensive acute care services are available in only 6 percent of the facilities evaluated; This increases pressure on facilities capable of receiving the injured, especially in areas close to the front lines.
The World Health Organization is working with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and the Health Cluster partners in Yemen to ensure the continuation of life-saving health services, and to strengthen the capabilities of hospitals and emergency teams to deal with the rising numbers of infections, displacement cases, and other health needs.
The organization's efforts in preparedness and response revolve around 3 emergency scenarios covering 11 governorates, while working to expand the capabilities of treating injuries and surgeries, strengthening emergency ambulance and referral services, deploying additional emergency teams, and maintaining a reserve stock of vital health supplies sufficient for 60 days.
The organization is also working to establish alternative supply and referral corridors in anticipation of the disruption of existing routes, and is preparing for the possibility of further deterioration by pre-stocking emergency supplies and preparing the city of Mukalla to be a logistical center and response hub.
Preparations also include strengthening supply routes through Hadramaut and the Sultanate of Oman, and planning to deal with the potential for large-scale displacement and associated health needs.
These measures - according to UN data - gain additional importance with the deterioration of access methods and referral paths. The access of partners from Aden to the western coast has stopped, while access to Al-Turbah and the city of Taiz has become difficult, while the injured are being transported from the Lahj front, which is witnessing an escalation in operations, through the Lahj-Aden axis to hospitals receiving cases in the temporary capital.
Sayed Jaafar Hussein, the representative of the World Health Organization in Yemen, said that the country's health system bears enormous burdens, and that the recent escalation puts additional pressure on hospitals, health workers, and life-saving services.
He added that the organization's priorities are to ensure that those affected by the escalation continue to have access to basic and emergency health care, noting that achieving this requires protecting access to health services, ensuring the continued flow of vital supplies, and strengthening the capabilities of hospitals and referral systems, before needs worsen further.
The Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, warned civil aviation authorities and international airlines of the development revealed by the army in his country. He said that the danger extends to the nature of the weapons and their launch sites, especially as they are directed from Houthi areas towards international air routes.
The Yemeni Armed Forces issued a warning about a development that stemmed from the Houthi group’s use of Iranian air defense weapons that, according to the Yemeni army, were converted into “mobile” missiles launched from Hodeidah Governorate towards international flight paths.
The official spokesman for the armed forces, Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili, said that the forces recently monitored the Houthis using these weapons “with innovative techniques and tactics,” noting that a single missile can remain on the move for up to 25 minutes, and works with a thermal tracking system to attack heat sources.
Al-Nuzaili explained, in an official statement, that these weapons do not have, according to the information he provided, the ability to distinguish between military and civilian targets, which makes their use towards international air routes a direct threat to civilian aircraft and travelers, including United Nations aircraft and humanitarian and relief organizations that use the airspace of Yemen and the region.
The Yemeni army believes that the danger of these weapons is not related to their technical capabilities alone, but rather to the locations of their use and the direction of their launch, as Al-Nuzaili said that they are launched from areas controlled by the Houthis in Hodeidah Governorate towards international air routes south of the Red Sea.
He warned that transforming the airspace in the region into a threat to civilian aircraft exceeds, as he described it, the scope of danger inside Yemen, and affects the safety of international air navigation, calling on the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association to take measures to deal with the potential risks.
Al-Eryani recalled the incident of the downing of the Ukrainian plane “PS752” in Tehran in 2020, which resulted in the death of 176 people, as a precedent linked to the use of air defense systems near civil air traffic. He called on the International Civil Aviation Organization, aviation safety authorities, and airlines to include the development reported by the Yemeni army in risk assessments of air routes in the region.
This warning comes at a time when Houthi risks associated with the maritime and airspace around the Red Sea are increasing. The Yemeni government says that the transfer of danger to air routes adds a new dimension to the repercussions of the conflict, especially if it is proven that thermally guided weapons are being used near civil air traffic.
Al-Eryani called on the international community to act before an air accident occurs, warning that the repercussions of the potential threat are not limited to commercial aircraft, but also include flights affiliated with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations that depend on the airspace for their operations inside Yemen and the region.
In the face of strict security measures imposed by the Houthi group to prevent celebrations of the anniversary of the Yemeni revolution “September 26,” residents in large areas of Ibb Governorate (193 kilometers south of Sanaa) resorted to mountaintops and highlands to commemorate the occasion, by lighting a torch, launching fireworks, and burning car tires, in conjunction with raids and kidnapping campaigns that targeted young men and boys due to their participation in the celebrations.
Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that groups of young men in several rural villages chose high locations far from population centers and security points to hold short events, in an attempt to avoid prosecution and arrest, in light of the Houthi security presence and prior warnings against holding any festive appearances on the occasion.
According to the sources, villages in Izal al-Sara and Bani Had in the Al-Udayn District, and Mushayra’a, Najd Al-Masalqa, and Shaab Al-Dar in the Madhikhara District, in addition to the village of Al-Mashreq Dhari Al-Akma in the Ibb countryside, and the villages of Bahrana and Brash in the Hazm Al-Udayn District witnessed symbolic demonstrations to commemorate the revolution.
The demonstrations spread - according to the same sources - to rural villages in the districts of Al-Sayani, Al-Nadira, Jableh, Habeish, Dhu Al-Safal, Al-Makhader, Yarim and other areas. The torch was lit over a number of peaks, and young men set off fireworks and burned car tires, before quickly leaving the celebration sites, for fear of being spotted or pursued by the group's security personnel.
The sources say that the choice of heights was not just a means of displaying the flame from long distances, but rather was imposed by fears of security measures. Participants preferred scattered locations that did not require large gatherings, and held short events away from squares and squares.
Ahmed - one of the participants in celebrating the occasion - said that the fear of arrest prompted him and other young men to change the method of celebration, explaining that they avoided gathering in public places, and chose a mountain peak close to their area to light the torch and set off fireworks intermittently, before leaving the place.
He added that the choice of the heights came to avoid direct contact with the Houthi patrols deployed in the region. Pointing out that some peaks in nearby villages have turned into symbolic sites to commemorate the occasion, away from the eyes of the security services.
On the other hand, local sources reported that the Houthi group carried out raids and kidnapping campaigns in a number of areas of the governorate, targeting young men and boys who were accused of participating in lighting the torch and launching fireworks.
The sources confirmed that dozens of people from the governorate were kidnapped after participating in celebrations of the occasion, noting that villages in the Jableh District were raided and a number of young men were kidnapped, in addition to other operations in the Al-Sahol area.
The sources said that the raids were not limited to those directly participating in the celebrations, but rather included the homes of some notables and social figures, against the backdrop of accusing them of not preventing residents from lighting the torch or participating in commemorating the revolution.
These measures sparked a state of fear among the population. Especially in rural areas that witnessed celebrations of the occasion, while a number of young people were forced to avoid appearing in public places and stop publishing content related to the anniversary on social media sites.
The anniversary of “September 26” carries political and symbolic importance in Yemen, as it marks the revolution that overthrew the Imamate system in 1962 and announced the establishment of the republican system.
The raids and kidnapping campaigns in Ibb are part of broader security measures taken by the Houthi group in areas under its control in conjunction with the anniversary of the revolution, which included tightening control over gatherings and following up on any demonstrations of raising the Yemeni flag or calling for celebrations of the occasion, according to the sources.
The measures were not limited to security deployment in the streets and villages; The sources talked about monitoring what residents post on social media sites, and monitoring invitations and messages that include references to celebrating the anniversary of “September 26.”
According to the sources, the measures also included monitoring shops selling fabrics, sewing, and decorations, and issuing warnings regarding orders to buy Yemeni flags, while asking some merchants to report orders that exceed the usual quantities.
