In its recent annual report Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) stated that its teams continued to deliver lifesaving care to people affected by ongoing conflict and instability in Yemen, and responded to a steep rise in vaccine-preventable diseases.
MSF report noticed that “Yemen is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions of people displaced and in need of assistance”, adding that “ Regional armed escalations following Israel’s war on Gaza directly impacted Yemen”.
As a consequence of the armed escalations in the Middle East and the Red Sea crisis, MSF report found that key infrastructure, such as Hodeidah port, Sana’a airport, as well as power stations and storage structures vital for delivering much-needed humanitarian aid, have been badly damaged by airstrikes.
MSF reported that it’s teams worked in 17 hospitals across 12 governorates, during 2024, providing medical services such as emergency, maternal, and pediatric care, nutrition support, and specialized surgery.
To facilitate access to basic healthcare at community level and reduce the strain on hospitals, MSF supported more than 10 basic healthcare centres with staff training and incentives, donations of medications and medical supplies, and rehabilitation works.
In addition, MSF provided emergency healthcare and donations of blankets and hygiene kits in Mahweet and Marib governorates during flash floods in the second half of the year.
In regard to malnutrition In recent years, MSF staff have seen worsening trends especially among children, “as many Yemeni families have lost their sources of livelihood during the last decade of political and economic instability and conflict”.
MSF report noticed that “To date, the international humanitarian response to the crisis in Yemen has been insufficient to meet people’s immense needs”, adding “ There has been a marked increase in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in Yemen in recent years, due in part to falling vaccination coverage” .
As the country’s healthcare system has continued to deteriorate, many people, in particular children, have missed out on routine vaccinations, leaving them vulnerable to diseases such as cholera, acute watery diarrhea, measles, and diphtheria.
As well as treating patients for cholera and acute watery diarrhea in its regular facilities, in collaboration with the health authorities, MSF managed or supported treatment units or centres across Aden, Marib, Taiz, Shabwa, Amran, Dhamar, Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Sa’ada.
MSF teams also responded to outbreaks of measles in Amran, Hajjah, Hodeidah, and Sa’ada, and diphtheria in Dhamar.
In addition, in Marib and Taiz, MSF delivered logistics support to the Ministry of Health for a mass catch-up routine vaccination campaign for children and pregnant women.
Maternal and child healthcare Maternal and child healthcare continued to be a core element of MSF activities in Yemen.
MSF report concluded that “Years of conflict, economic hardship, and diminishing access to basic services have taken a severe mental toll on the people of Yemen and “In response, we have integrated basic mental health care into all our activities in Hodeidah, Marib, and Taiz governorates. In Hajjah, at Abs hospital and our mental health clinic in Hajjah city, our teams provided psychiatric care, individual and group counselling sessions, and psychotherapy. In Hajjah city, we also ran a day centre, offering psychological care, and a rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic mental health conditions