Yemeni ministry of health announces death of conjoined twins in Sanaa

SANAA, Feb. 10 (YPA) – The conjoined twins Abdul Rahim and Abdul Khaliq al-Haimi, who were born last Thursday, have died on Saturday, according to a statement by the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population.

“The Ministry of Public Health and population announces the death of the two children who were born conjoined on Saturday, 9 February 2019, caused by the unjust blockade on our country imposed by the states of the US-backed Saudi coalition of aggression”, the Ministry said.

The coalition refused to open Sanaa airport in order to take the children for treatment abroad, despite calls and appeals by the Ministry and the doctors who treated conjoined twins.

Regrettably, however, the United Nations and the international community have not heard the calls and appeals at the international level, the statement read.

This tragedy shows to the whole world the deteriorating health and humanitarian situation of Yemen’s population, caused by nearly 4 years of aggression and siege, with dozens of people dying every day because of the closure of the airport.

The two conjoined children were deprived of the right to life, although there was great hope and chance that they would survive if they had proper treatment.

“As we also hold the coalition countries responsible for their deaths, we hold the United Nations, which has not reacted humanely to its humanitarian responsibility, after the Minister of Health appealed to it and all organizations to quickly rescue them, from the moment they were born.”, the statement continued.

“We also thank the Resident representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), who expressed his willingness to do his duty towards the two children just hours before they died. [Unfortunately] their death was faster than his move.

We, therefore, call on all organizations to increase the pace of response to all Yemen’s health and humanitarian issues in order to reduce the incidence of more deaths.”

E.M