Houthis and Muslim Brotherhood disrupt healthcare in Yemen… Children pay the price
The Houthi rebel militias and the Muslim Brotherhood, listed as terrorist groups in some countries, have reintroduced many diseases and epidemics that had been eradicated, resulting from the repercussions of the ongoing wars in Yemen for years.
Oxfam, in a statement reported by the Almashhad Alaraby website, warned of the alarming rise in the number of recorded cholera cases in recent weeks.
The organization cautioned that this dangerous situation is on the verge of turning the spread of the disease into an epidemic if swift measures are not taken. According to the organization, the recent weeks have seen recorded cases of cholera in 8 provinces, most of which are under the control of the Houthi militias and the Muslim Brotherhood, including several provinces in the south.
From October 2nd to December 3rd of the current year, there were reports of 1,336 suspected cases and 11 deaths associated with cholera in Yemen.
The organization pointed out that the lack of reports suggests that the actual numbers may be much higher.
According to Oxfam, these cases raise concerns about the possibility of a return to unprecedented levels of cholera since the 2016-2021 outbreak, when 2.5 million cases were recorded, and 4,000 deaths were associated with it.
The organization mentioned that 20 million people need health assistance, especially since health sector funding has decreased to 40% over 9 years of war, destroying half of the health facilities. About 50% of health facilities either partially operate or do not operate at all due to a lack of staff, funding, and energy, as well as a shortage of medicines, supplies, and equipment.
Oxfam called on the international community to provide sufficient funding for life-saving assistance, especially for health programs, resilience, and livelihoods, and to increase efforts to negotiate a permanent and comprehensive peace.
It is worth noting that the healthcare system is suffering greatly due to the war ignited by the Houthi militias, who have collaborated with the Muslim Brotherhood militias in terms of collapsed medical facilities, damaged medical equipment, limited and untrained personnel, in addition to the importation of expired drugs by Iran-backed militias, along with the unavailability of regular vaccinations.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had previously warned that more than 5 million children in Yemen are at risk of contracting preventable and treatable diseases, such as cholera and acute watery diarrhea.
