830K Children and 46K Women Dead due to US-Saudi siege on Yemen

The Ministry of Public Health and Population in Sanaa revealed in a statement the killing and injury of more than 47,673 civilians in Yemen as a result of raids and bombardment by the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition and its mercenaries during the past eight years.

The ministry said in a report distributed at a press conference today, Wednesday, that the aggression raids killed 2,454 women and wounded 3,150 other women during the eight years of aggression.

It stressed that during the truce period and beyond, 1,562 civilians were killed and wounded, including 229 killed.

The health report pointed out that 66 doctors, specialists, and health workers were killed during the past years of aggression. It noted that the aircraft of the Saudi aggression targeted 100 ambulances while carrying out their humanitarian work in rescuing the victims.

The aggression coalition also completely or partially destroyed 527 health facilities, a drug factory, and an oxygen production laboratory.

It confirmed that 50% of health facilities in Yemen have been out of service due to direct or nearby bombardment.

It pointed out that 830,000 children under the age of 5 and 46,000 women died due to the siege. More than 12,000 cases of fetal deformity were recorded in areas targeted by heavy bombardment.

Medical centers also recorded 350,000 abortions, an annual increase of 8% in low birth weight infants and 3,000 children with heart deformities. Cancer cases increased by 50%, with medical centers recording more than 78,000 new patients during the years of aggression. 30,000 children were diagnosed with cancer and leukemia cases in children increased to 1,700.

The report said the number of chronic patients during the years of siege increased to 1.5 million, including 4,500 kidney failure patients and 500 liver failure patients.

The report also confirmed that the siege caused malnutrition to more than 2.6 million children and 1.8 million women.

Unprecedented increases in skin diseases were recorded during the aggression and siege, with nearly 5,700 cases annually.

The report said 2,000 Yemenis urgently need corneal transplants and travel restrictions through Sanaa airport threaten them with blindness. 50% of the population in cities, especially children and women, suffer from psychological illnesses due to the aggression’s deliberate nighttime bombardment.

The report confirmed that the aggression coalition imposed a complete ban on the arrival of radioactive solutions and medicines. It imposed complex procedures through the siege on the arrival of 362 vital drug derivatives, including blood derivatives, anesthetics, immunosuppressants, and others. Due to the siege, the percentage of drug imports decreased to less than 60% and in return medical service prices increased. As of last March, UN support was virtually eliminated.

The report said the aggression coalition’s actions to cut health workers’ salaries amount to a war crime aimed at completely paralyzing the health sector. 98% of medical equipment has become dilapidated and the siege makes maintenance difficult. According to a survey of 89 government hospitals, malfunctioning devices due to war and siege reached 5,177. Diagnostic and therapeutic devices for cancer patients went out of service due to the aggression coalition preventing the entry of radioactive medical supplies and closing Sanaa airport.

Widespread epidemics were recorded during the aggression and siege, with 4 million infections with diarrhea, cholera and 22,000 children with measles, 7,000 with typhoid fever and 12.5 million with malaria.