Closure of Sana’a Airport threatens Lives of more than 37 Thousand Patients with Various Tumors: Health Minister

YemenExtra

SH.A.

Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Taha al-Mutawakil said that more than 300 children with leukemia need to travel abroad for treatment urgently.

The minister inspected a number of critical cases of children patients suffering leukemia at the Academic Kuwait Hospital in the capital Sana’a.

Dr. al-Mutawakil said that “the siege and aggression (Saudi-led coalition) prevented the entry of medicines of cancer patients and at the same time deprived the patients from travelling for treatment abroad.”

He called on the international community to press the Saudi-led coalition to open Sana’a International Airport in order to allow patients to travel and save the lives of children with leukemia.

“The continued closure of the airport threatens lives of more than 37 thousand patients with various tumors,” he added.

As well as thousands of civilians, mostly children and women have been killed by Saudi airstrikes. Reports say that the Saudi-led coalition is committing daily crimes in Yemen since March of 2015. The Saudi war has resulted in bringing famine to more than 14 million Yemeni civilian, which is half the population.

An estimated 85,000 children under five may have starved to death in Yemen since 2015, Save the Children reported last month.

Almost half of Yemen’s children are chronically malnourished, which can stunt their growth, World Health Organisation spokesman confirmed in their last report.

“Thousands of under-nourished people are dying of diarrhea, pneumonia and measles,” he also added.