Hospitals in Yemen's Taiz governorate are facing critical shortages of essential medical supplies and overwhelming influxes of war-wounded civilians amid a significant escalation of fighting, pushing the healthcare system to its breaking point.
In Taiz, a 25-year-old pregnant woman, Amal al-Sabri, is undergoing severe distress after a sniper bullet lodged in her spine. Doctors at Al-Thawra hospital were unable to remove the bullet due to her advanced pregnancy, forcing her to consider terminating her fetus. She was trapped in her home for two days without food or water before sustaining her injury in the village of al-Shaqb, overlooking the city.
The United Nations and aid agencies report critical needs in Taiz, a city largely isolated since October 3 due to conflict, preventing humanitarian supplies from entering and civilians from leaving. The governorate, which hosts approximately half of Yemen's newly displaced population since August, is experiencing some of the highest casualties, with hospitals near front lines treating up to 700 war wounded weekly, according to the Red Cross.
Hachem Osseiran, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, stated that the healthcare system across Yemen is under immense strain. Even before the recent surge in violence, over 40% of healthcare facilities nationwide were already non-operational or partially functioning due to years of conflict. Concerns are also rising about potential disease outbreaks due to water scarcity and accumulating refuse.
Medical facilities are not only stretched but also directly impacted by the conflict. A hospital in Taiz's Sabir Al-Mawadim district was hit by mortar fragments for the second time this month. Furthermore, a strike on an ambulance resulted in the deaths of its driver and a paramedic. Another strike near Mocha General Hospital damaged the building and caused panic among patients, hindering access to care as civilians fear for their lives.
