Women most affected by collapsed healthcare system in war-torn Yemen

By Omer Faruk Madanoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hospitals and health facilities have become inoperative amid the ongoing internal conflict in Yemen, leading to the loss of lives of pregnant women and babies, according to a UN official.

"In Yemen, less than 50% of hospitals and health facilities are operational, and only one-fifth of these health facilities provide maternal and neonatal care services," Hicham Nahro, deputy representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Yemen, told Anadolu.

"Pregnant women cannot access urban maternity hospitals or health centers due to disadvantages such as frequent displacement and living in rural and remote areas," Nahro said.

Nahro pointed out that families living in rural areas also cannot afford to go to hospitals or health centers due to financial reasons.

“Many Yemeni families cannot afford hospital costs, even transportation expenses to reach urban centers,” he said.

"Some pregnant women in critical condition try to reach hospitals by walking or riding camels for 7-8 hours," Nahro noted.

"Last year, as UNFPA, we managed to reach nearly three million Yemeni women and girls, but there is still a great need for assistance for a healthy pregnancy process in the country," he added.

"There are 5.5 million women in the country who do not have access to or have very limited access to reproductive health services, including 2.7 million pregnant and lactating women suffering from acute malnutrition," he warned.

Yemen has fallen into civil war since 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to set up an interim capital in the coastal city of Aden.

UN estimates that in 2024, over 18 million people – over half the population – will need humanitarian assistance and protection services in Yemen.

According to UN figures, 17.6 million people will be severely food insecure and an estimated 2.7 million women and five million children under five will need treatment for acute malnutrition.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz​​​​​​​