Humanitarian Crisis and Civil War

The right to basic healthcare is something that all humans should be in possession of, but unfortunately that is not the case for some people. Citizens in Yemen are being stripped of this fundamental right due to the consequences of the ongoing conflict between Houthi rebels and the state’s national government. Yemen undeniably lacks access to basic healthcare due to the destruction of its medical facilities, deprivation of hospital utilities, as well as the destitution of the citizens. Amidst its civil war, Yemen’s hospitals are being wiped out by the rebellion force. According to Yemen’s frontman for the World Health Organization, Ahmed Shadoul, “Almost 23% of the health facilities in Yemen are no longer functional either because they were hit, they were already in poor condition or they happened to be close to military targets” (“Health”). A large amount of Yemenis are left without access to hospitals due to the violence.

This is especially disastrous as approximately half of Yemen’s people require such medical attention because they have been affected by the fighting. Despite the fact that there are still some operating healthcare facilities, they are still lacking. Additionally, Yemen’s remaining clinics have a scarcity of utility and supplies due to the warfare. The author of “Health and Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen” writes that, “Closing of the Port city of Hudaydah (Hodeidah) has further exacerbated the problem by closing one of the last entry points for food and medicine” (Pocock). Few open ports caused by military action disable Yemen from being able to import goods such as fuel and hospital supplies. This shortage of medical utilities results in many of the remaining hospitals not being able to aid those in need as well as an overall less helpful healthcare system. Although private medical facilities with improved healthcare continue to exist, the state’s poverty makes accessing them difficult. Lastly, the war in Yemen has not only led to the bombing of hospitals, but factories and other workplaces as well. Consequently, the vast majority of individuals are desperately in need of a job.

The toll that warfare has taken on the nation’s economy is so significant that “The private clinics cost more than even a middle-class civilian can afford” (Strochlic). Furthermore, even the hospital workers in Yemen have not been earning money for doing their job since 2016. All three of these effects of warfare in Yemen contribute to its humanitarian crisis. Taking this information into account, Yemen is without a doubt experiencing a health crisis due to its destructive civil war, lack of medical supplies, and poverty-stricken economy. This situation cannot be handled solely by the government of Yemen and requires the assistance of generous souls to make donations and other contributions. In times of hardship such as this, only other people can aid the less fortunate in surviving.

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