Saudi-led siege on Yemen has resulted in the death of 103 thousand children and 41 thousand pregnant women: MOH
The Ministry of Public Health and Population in Sana’a revealed a large and tragic increase in cases of tumors as a result of the aggression and their imposed siege on Yemen.
In a press conference held today, Saturday, in Sana’a, on the effects of the aggression and the siege and its consequences on the health sector for the eighth year, the ministry explained that the rate of increase in cases of tumors in Yemen as a result of the aggression and the siege amounted to more than 50%.
The ministry added that the number of civilian casualties has reached 47,081 citizens, including 15,483 killed and 31,598 wounded, noting that 25% of the civilian casualties are children and women.
The ministry confirmed that the warplanes of the aggression destroyed 162 health facilities completely and 375 partially and put them out of action, which resulted in the death of 66 medical personnel, as a result of direct bombardment by the US-Saudi jets, and the destruction of 70 ambulances.
Moreover, the ministry added that the siege imposed by the aggression on the Yemeni people has caused an increase in acute malnutrition rates to more than 632,000 children under the age of five and 1.5 million pregnant and lactating women. The siege and intense bombardment with prohibited weapons have also caused a high rate of congenital malformations and miscarriages with an average of 350 thousand cases, while 12,000 cases of malformation. The siege also raised the rates of premature births to 8% compared to the situation before the aggression, at an average of 22599 cases annually.
The ministry pointed out the death of (40,320) pregnant women and (103680) children. The siege also caused an increase in the number of people with tumors by 50% over the average at the beginning of the aggression in 2015 and it reached 46,204 cases during the year 2021.
It also confirmed that the coalition of aggression prevents the entry of vital medical equipment, which prompted many international pharmaceutical companies to refrain from supplying medicines to Yemen as a result of the blockade. The ministry also noted that aid shipments ended as a result of their stay in Djibouti as a coercive station to get to Yemen, and that the limited opening of Sanaa Airport and the port of Hodeidah under the armistice does not meet the minimum needs of the health sector and the needs of patients. The aggressive coalition continues to cut the salaries of cadres and employees of the health sector, in particular, and state employees in general.
The ministry also stressed that lifting the siege and stopping the aggression once and for all is the first and correct step to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.