The director‑general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Thursday that the surge in hostilities across Yemen is pushing the country’s overstretched health infrastructure toward collapse. In a post on the social media platform X, he highlighted the growing humanitarian toll and the urgent need for a cease‑fire to protect public health.
According to the WHO chief, close to 20 million Yemenis now require medical aid. The demand encompasses routine care, emergency treatment, and support for chronic conditions, straining a system already weakened by years of war and economic hardship.
Compounding the crisis, the nation is confronting simultaneous outbreaks of cholera, measles, polio and dengue fever, while widespread malnutrition continues to jeopardise vulnerable populations. Health officials say these disease spikes are linked to disrupted water supplies, inadequate sanitation and limited access to vaccines.
The ongoing conflict has also generated a sharp rise in casualties and forced displacement, further burdening hospitals and clinics that struggle to cope with the influx of patients. Reports indicate that many health facilities have been damaged or rendered inoperable, reducing the capacity to deliver essential services.
Tedros urged that “peace is the best medicine,” emphasizing that a durable cessation of hostilities is essential to halt the deterioration of health services and to enable humanitarian actors to operate safely. He called on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies and personnel.
The warning comes as the United Nations and several aid agencies continue to appeal for increased funding and access to address the mounting health emergency. Without a swift de‑escalation of violence, experts fear that Yemen’s health system could reach a point of total failure, leaving millions without basic care.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/fighting-yemen-pushing-health-system-collapse-says-who-chief.