Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population Qasim Buhaibeh cautioned that portions of the country face the prospect of complete healthcare system collapse due to insufficient financial resources. He indicated that the health sector lacks the capacity to manage additional population displacement resulting from the ongoing conflict while simultaneously contending with severe resource constraints..
According to Buhaibeh, the funding shortage has necessitated the closure of medical facilities and created critical shortages of essential medicines, medical supplies, and fuel. Health data current through June 2026 shows that 19.3 million Yemenis require health assistance, yet funding has reached only 17 percent of the amount needed to address these needs. The minister reported that the percentage of health facilities operating at full capacity has likely fallen below 50 percent, representing a decline from prior assessments.
Between June and September 22, the conflict displaced approximately 134,550 people, with concentrations in Taiz, Lahij, and Aden. This influx has exacerbated strain on already-stretched healthcare infrastructure. Buhaibeh emphasized that emergency services, maternal and child healthcare, vaccination programs, nutritional support, and specialized treatments including dialysis and cancer care all face significant threats from the funding crisis.
Data reporting from Houthi-controlled regions has been unavailable for nearly a year, preventing authorities from obtaining comprehensive national epidemiological data. The minister noted that cholera, measles, and polio outbreaks are occurring simultaneously with conditions of displacement, malnutrition, and low vaccination coverage. In 2025, more than 27,000 confirmed measles cases were documented, and approximately half of Yemen’s children under five experience chronic malnutrition. The International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 130,000 people across seven governorates were displaced since fighting escalated in early September.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI