Sana'a: The Republican Teaching Hospital Authority in the capital, Sana'a, held a press conference today to highlight the repercussions of the 12-year-long Saudi blockade and the severe humanitarian suffering it has inflicted on patients with chronic diseases.
According to Yemen News Agency, Dr. Amin Qubas, head of the Supreme Authority for Medicines and Medical Supplies, explained that the Saudi-led blockade and the closure of Sana'a International Airport have prevented the arrival of many medicines and medical supplies, especially those requiring special transport and refrigeration methods. He highlighted the suffering of patients with chronic illnesses due to the lack of medicines and the delays in their delivery caused by the blockade.
He stated that the Saudi blockade has led to a shortage of many essential medicines, including anesthetics and emergency drugs, and the withdrawal of several international companies from the country. This has exacerbated the suffering of patients, either because medicines are not arriving at all or because shipments are being diverted to Djibouti and only reach Yemen after expiration or spoilage due to improper storage.
For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Ashwal, deputy head of the Al-Jumhouri Teaching Hospital Authority, said, "Talking about the health sector is not just about buildings, equipment, and statistics; it's about human life and the right to treatment, medicine, and healthcare." He emphasized that patients with chronic illnesses are the most in need of consistent care. Kidney failure patients require regular dialysis sessions, cancer patients need their treatment on schedule, and heart, diabetes, and other conditions require medication and ongoing care.
He pointed out that the 12-year-long blockade has placed a heavy burden on the health sector, leading to difficulties in procuring medications and medical supplies. This has impacted the ability of health institutions to regularly meet their treatment needs, at a time when the number of patients and the needs are increasing.
Dr. Al-Ashwal stated that the Republican Hospital Authority continues to fulfill its medical and humanitarian mission, doing everything possible to maintain services, receive patients, and provide them with care, despite the challenges and limited resources.
He emphasized that the continuation of medical work requires essential elements: readily available medications, efficient medical supplies and equipment, and qualified personnel capable of performing their duties in a stable and healthy environment. He pointed out that among the most critical needs that cannot tolerate shortages or delays are anesthetic drugs, which are essential for safely performing surgical procedures. He noted that a shortage of these drugs does not simply mean the loss of a specific medication from the hospital's stock, but could lead to the postponement of urgently needed surgeries and the disruption of life-saving medical services.
The deputy head of the authority stated that surgical procedures cannot be performed safely without anesthesia, and patients awaiting surgery cannot remain dependent on the unavailability of essential medication. Therefore, providing anesthetic drugs, along with emergency and intensive care medications and other medical supplies, is crucial for the continuity of medical work and the protection of patients.
He added, "The patient's suffering does not end at the hospital gates. Many patients face, in addition to their illness, the burden of obtaining medication, transportation costs, and access to medical services, while their families bear increasing psychological and financial strain." He continued, "This suffering is exacerbated for patients with kidney failure and chronic diseases because treatment for them is not a one-off dose or a temporary visit, but rather an ongoing treatment process directly impacting their lives." He pointed out that supporting the health sector should not be viewed as temporary aid, but rather as an investment in human life and the protection of a fundamental human right.
He reiterated that the health sector urgently needs a humanitarian and medical response to ensure the regular delivery of medicines and medical supplies, support hospitals and health centers, secure the needs of patients with chronic diseases, support dialysis centers, and guarantee the continuity of medical operations, services, emergencies, and intensive care.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Environment during a press conference, read by the ministry's spokesperson, Dr. Anis Al-Asbahi, reiterated that the Saudi-led blockade, imposed 12 years ago, has caused an unprecedented health catastrophe, exacerbated by a severe shortage of life-saving medications, particularly insulin and anesthetics. The statement noted that the decline in the work of humanitarian organizations has transformed treatable chronic diseases into a form of suspended death sentence affecting millions of citizens.
The statement explained that a large segment of patients suffers from a severe and chronic shortage of essential treatments. It pointed out that 1.5 million diabetic patients require between 800,000 and 1 million units of mixed (cloudy) insulin annually, which is almost unavailable, while the need for pure insulin reaches 30,000 vials per year, which is also unavailable. The statement noted that the annual need for long-acting insulin is 10,000 vials, which is unavailable, and for diabetes insipidus, 60,000 tablets have been unavailable for a long time. The annual need for Factor VIII for hemophilia and bleeding disorders is 100,000 vials, and for Factor IX, 50,000 vials.
He indicated that the required amounts include 200,000 units of heparin, 10,000 vials of growth hormone, 20,000 vials of immunoglobulin, 25,000 vials of anti-D, 100,000 vials of albumin, 40,000 vials of rabies serum and vaccine, 2,672,258 capsules of medications for thalassemia and hemolytic anemia, 200,000 vials of erythropoietin (a hematopoietic hormone) to treat anemia resulting from chronic kidney failure and anemia caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients, and to reduce the need for blood transfusions before or after major surgeries, and 2,487,070 vials of oxytocin to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and for use in childbirth.
The ministry statement emphasized that despite repeated appeals to the United Nations and international humanitarian and health organizations, and their awareness of the catastrophic situation resulting from the aggression and the ongoing blockade imposed on the country, they have shirked their humanitarian and moral duty and become complicit in the crimes of depriving millions of Yemenis of the most basic necessities of life. He stated that as a result of organizations shirking their humanitarian responsibilities, patients are enduring escalating suffering daily, waiting weeks or months for a single dose, and many are losing their lives due to diabetic coma and kidney failure. The closure of Sana'a airport has also forced insulin to be transported by land, disrupting the cold chain, and has compelled some to purchase expired or counterfeit medications from the black market.
Regarding the shortage of anesthesia and resuscitation drugs, the statement indicated that the severe shortage has made even minor surgical procedures risky and has led to the postponement of critical and life-saving surgeries (open-heart surgery and tumor removal), endangering patients' lives, increasing mortality rates, and crippling hospitals' ability to provide emergency and critical care in intensive care units.
He noted that the suspension of humanitarian aid by humanitarian organizations has resulted in the withholding of more than $48 million in funding allocated for medicines and medical supplies in a single year, in addition to $16.3 million for operational expenses and $14.1 million for medical equipment. Furthermore, the provision of therapeutic and preventative food supplies has ceased in more than 3,000 health facilities that served over one million children. The Ministry of Health asserted that the suspension of operations by humanitarian and international organizations and the decline in their performance are not due to a lack of funding, but rather a systematic policy driven by Saudi and American pressure to bring the health system to the brink of collapse. The Ministry noted that despite donor funding for 2019, these organizations implemented only 19% of the health response plan, leaving an 81% shortfall. By 2025, this had plummeted to less than 5% of the response plan, and by 2026, it had completely cea sed operations.
According to the statement, the World Health Organization and UNICEF suspended support to two-thirds of the affected areas in November 2025, threatening the closure of thousands of health units and paralyzing nutrition and epidemic control programs. The Red Cross delivered 130,000 insulin ampoules but did not sustain sufficient support, and the International Organization for Migration supported only seven health facilities. These efforts, however, do not compensate for the lack of a comprehensive response, and the disruption of the World Food Programme's mechanisms has severely impacted the pharmaceutical supply chain. The Ministry of Health reiterated that the closure of Sana'a Airport has led to a 60% decrease in medicine imports, preventing thousands of patients from traveling abroad for treatment. The economic blockade and inflation have caused the currency to collapse and prices to skyrocket, making medicine a luxury for the poor.
The statement condemned the policy of procrastination and collective punishment by the United Nations and its organizations, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), which it described as manipulating the suffering of patients and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. It clarified that halting the delivery of medicines, medical supplies, blood banks, and intravenous fluids is not a logistical failure, but a moral and humanitarian crime that transforms humanitarian institutions into tools of pressure and blackmail.
The Ministry held the WHO fully legally and morally responsible for the deteriorating situation, noting that its silence and the pretext of inspection do not justify a catastrophe that the organization itself has described as "one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world." It called for the immediate release of all shipments of medicines, supplies, solutions, blood bank and diagnostic laboratory equipment and reagents held by the World Health Organization, an immediate end to arbitrary inspections and delays, and an end to the