Coalition’s Ongoing War and Siege Raise of Spread Diseases and Epidemics
YemenExtra
SH.A.
The spokesman of Yemen’s Health Ministry Youssef al-Hadhari said on Monday in a statement that the Saudi-led aggression coalition’s ongoing war and siege on the Yemeni people help in the spread of diseases and epidemics.
Al-Hadhari explained that the number of cases suspected by cholera epidemics from January to June 21 was over 4,000 cases and out of which 686 died in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Ibb province.
“The healthy situation in Yemen still requires to support of the international community and organizations to help the ministry to get rid of the diseases targeting citizens,” the spokesman of the ministry.
The statement said that a child dies every ten minutes because of malnutrition or other diseases, according to the United Nations report for 2018.
According to the latest statistics of repercussions and consequences of Saudi-led coalition war on the pharmaceutical sector in Yemen during four years of the war and siege.
“The Saudi-led coalition warplanes have bombed three pharmaceutical factories, using air strikes, which have caused serious damage and destroyed two oxygen production plants, which have been providing services to several hospitals, health centers and facilities, this led to the suspension of investment activity, especially in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing, ” the commission said in its current report on the damages and losses of the sector.
“The Saudi-led coalition war on Yemen and total siege imposed by the coalition countries have aggravated the health situation, caused a high increase of chronic diseases, multiple epidemics, acute drug shortages, and the destruction of warehouses and pharmaceutical factories, which have caused the rise of civilian casualties,” the Commission added.
The Commission also said that 120 kinds of chronic disease medicines are currently not available in the Ministry of Health stores, especially 50% cancer medications, which has caused the death toll to increase due to the difficulty of providing medicines, as well as the high price of medicines due to the increased shipping cost and high exchange rate.
“The import rate of medicines has decreased to approximately 60% of the average import during the years prior to the aggression,” the Commission added.
“These medicine supplies are interrupted since the closure of Sanaa Airport, most of which are life-saving and needed by a wide range of patients. They cover multiple pharmaceutical fields such as blood derivatives, hormonal medications, immunotherapy, serums, blood clotting inhibitors, blood clots, resuscitation and anaesthesia medications, and some Laboratory and Diagnostic Solutions,” the report said.
“The closure of the port of Hodeidah has aggravated the lack of access to pharmaceutical and medical shipments and has contributed to the spread of epidemics and increased the need of medicines and medical supplies to high levels that are difficult to provide under aggression and siege. ”