52 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in Yemen in 2024 were identified by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC), 19 health workers were arrested and six killed, and health facilities were forcibly entered 18 times , according to a recent report published by Academic and Research Institution..
The report noted that Houthi rebels’ forces carried out multiple raids on hospitals and clinics for control and resource seizure purposes. and that incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care were reported in Aden, Ad Dali’, as well as Sana’a (Amanat Al Asimah), Al Hudaydah and continuing in Ta’izz governorate, where conflict persists.
In regard to the impact of attacks on health care the report found that even before the start of the civil war in 2014, Yemen’s health care system was fragile due to political instability, protracted violence and low investment in health care infrastructure.
The report found that armed conflict has weakened the health care system further, adding “As of February 2024, among 5,257 health care delivery units assessed in Yemen, 40% were either only partially functional or non-functional, with the lowest levels of functionality reported in Al Bayda and Sa’dah governorates”.
The report concluded that “A lack of staff was cited as a reason for this disfunctionality in 79% of cases and a lack of equipment in 53% of cases. Particularly high shortages of female health care workers have created acute barriers to health care access for sexual and reproductive health services, since social customs often require females to only be treated by female health care workers”.