Sana'a: The Ministry of Health and Environment on Wednesday held a press conference in Sana'a, shedding light on the severe effects of the decade-long US-Saudi-Emirati aggression and blockade on Yemen's health and humanitarian sectors. This event was held in conjunction with National Resilience Day, March 26.
According to Yemen News Agency, Minister of Health and Environment Dr. Ali Shaiban emphasized that the aggression has disregarded humanitarian and moral considerations, imposing an unprecedented naval, air, media, economic, and political blockade. The United Nations itself has described the situation in Yemen as the largest humanitarian crisis in history.
Minister Shiban elaborated that the indirect damages caused by the aggression are far greater than the direct damages, with the inability to calculate the deprivation of health services or the health sector's failure to keep pace with population growth. He highlighted the increase in deaths from epidemics, malnutrition, and the impact on patients with chronic diseases due to halted medication imports.
The conference also covered the broader impact on infrastructure, with roads and sewage networks destroyed, and the migration of medical personnel abroad due to the crisis. Despite these challenges, the health sector has remained resilient, striving to provide services.
Dr. Anis Al-Asbahi, the Ministry's spokesperson, presented a report titled "The Bitter Harvest," detailing the human toll from March 2015 to March 2025, including 50,479 casualties, with children and women significantly affected. He noted that the aggression led to a 300 percent increase in motor disabilities and targeted hundreds of health facilities.
The aggression and blockade have also devastated Yemen's pharmaceutical supply, with a severe shortage in essential medications and a significant increase in demand for pharmaceutical products. The blockade has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, resulting in high child mortality rates and a rise in cancer and mental health disorders.
The Ministry of Health called for the reopening of Sana'a International Airport and Yemeni ports to facilitate the entry of medical supplies and ease the suffering of patients. They urged the international community to hold aggressor states accountable and called on the media to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Civil society and human rights organizations were urged to pursue legal action against the aggressor states and companies supplying them with prohibited weapons. The Ministry appealed to Yemeni doctors abroad to return and help address the critical shortage of medical professionals in the country.