Sanaa, Yemen – Rajaa Ghirsan, a 50-year-old seamstress in Sanaa, faces significant health challenges exacerbated by Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Living in the Houthi-controlled capital, her severe vocal cord paralysis has led to difficulty in breathing, compelling her reliance on a device fitted around her neck to maintain airflow. This essential device requires replacing every two months at a cost of 0, placing a financial burden on her family.
Despite undergoing six surgeries in Egypt and India since 2006, Ghirsan still requires a complex operation to help restore her airway. However, Yemen’s health system is under considerable strain due to the ongoing conflict, lacking the necessary infrastructure and specialist care for her condition, driving her to seek treatment abroad.
After registering with the Higher Medical Committee in Sanaa, which arranges medical treatments overseas, Ghirsan has spent seven long years attempting to secure a seat on a once-weekly flight to Amman, where many Yemeni patients seek care. Unfortunately, continuous air attacks and closures have prevented her from accessing this vital travel route. Moreover, the overland journey to Aden airport, her only alternative, is financially unfeasible.
Her daughter, Nouran al-Salawi, has been by her side, balancing her mother’s care with raising her own children. Nouran poignantly shares that her mother is yearning for freedom from the device and relief from her condition.
Many patients in Yemen, like Ghirsan, rely heavily on Sanaa International Airport for medical treatment abroad. However, since August 2016, the Saudi-led coalition has restricted commercial flights from this crucial hub. Although a UN-brokered truce in May 2022 allowed limited flights to resume, subsequent events, including air attacks in 2025, have severely impacted the airport’s operations. Currently, regular flights from Sanaa remain suspended, and ongoing attacks on Aden airport further complicate access to medical care.
Anis al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Ministry of Health, estimated that approximately 400,000 patients have been affected by travel restrictions, with over 250,000 in urgent need of healthcare abroad. This situation has been further aggravated by a shortage of vital medicines impacting over 125,000 cancer patients in Yemen.
As hostilities between competing factions reignite, the movement of aid and individuals has become further restricted. The UN envoy to Yemen recently indicated that the country had regressed into full-scale conflict, presenting dire implications for healthcare accessibility.
Mohammed Shajara’s attempt to secure treatment for his daughter—who faces paraplegia—exemplifies the struggles many patients endure. Following a failed attempt to travel to Tehran after Iranian flights were blocked, he faced significant challenges in attempting to reach Aden for further treatment. With Aden airport also under threat of attack, the logistical hurdles remain daunting.
Abdulkarim Abdullah, another patient facing kidney failure, exemplifies the financial strain experienced by many families in seeking medical treatment. With limited options for travel and escalating costs for security clearances and transportation, families scramble to afford emergency care, often leading to tragic outcomes.
The healthcare crisis in Yemen remains compounded by continued conflict and the closure of critical transportation routes, leaving the population in dire need of both medical treatment and humanitarian assistance. With nearly 147,000 people displaced within the country in September alone—many seeking refuge in challenging regions like Taiz—the need for comprehensive international support is increasingly urgent.
In a landscape fraught with challenges, healthcare professionals like Fouad al-Haddad, director of al-Jumhuri Hospital, and local NGOs continue to advocate for increased support and better health services for Yemenis. With millions dependent on medical assistance, the prospect for rejuvenating the health system hinges on sustained international cooperation, awareness, and funding.
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