Health Ministry reveals losses in health sector during 6 years of war

SANAA, March 23 (YPA) –  The Ministry of Public Health and Population on Tuesday announced that the number of civilians killed as a result of direct bombing of the coalition warplanes on Yemen has reached 17,97 people, including 3,821 children, 2,892 women, and more than 27,000 wounded.

The Ministry of Health stated in a statement that the coalition destroyed 523 health facilities completely and partially, and bombed 100 ambulances, noting that 50% of health facilities were out of readiness as a result of six years of bombing and siege.

The Ministry explained that the blockade imposed on Yemen six years ago caused an increase in the death rate of children under five to 300 children per day.

The Ministry indicated that as a result of the blockade, 8,000 women die annually, 1.8 million women suffer from malnutrition, and another million from complications from the blockade.

The ministry indicated that more than 2.6 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, and 500 thousand children are threatened by severe malnutrition as a result of the blockade.

The Ministry pointed out that in the provinces that were targeted with forbidden weapons, hospitals recorded high percentages of births with deformities.

The Ministry noted that more than 3000 children have heart defects, 500 suffer from terminal liver failure, and 2,000 people in need of a cornea transplant are unable to travel for treatment due to the closure of Sanaa airport.

The Ministry of Health indicated that more than 72,000 people have tumors, while the coalition is preventing the entry of devices and drugs needed to treat them.

The Ministry pointed out that during the 6 years of the war and the siege on Yemen, epidemics increased and epidemics that disappeared long ago returned.

The Ministry of Health said in the statement: “We are raising the alarm again because of the aggression coalition continuing to prevent the entry of fuel into Yemen.”