Hospital in Taiz faces collapse as Houthi siege cuts supplies

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 06:44 · Archive

A hospital in the Yemeni city of Taiz is warning it may shut down within days because of shortages caused by a Houthi siege.

The Republican Hospital in Taiz is warning of imminent collapse because of severe shortages caused by a Houthi siege of the government-held city in southwest Yemen. The dialysis centre, which serves 270 regular patients including 16-year-old Omar Mukhtar Hammoud, has already been forced to reduce treatment sessions from four hours to two and a half hours. Dr Essam Mahyoub Dahan, the centre's director, told Al Jazeera that the cuts are inadequate but necessary to keep the facility operating. He warned that complete shutdown could happen within days.

The centre's supplies of specialised dialysis solutions are nearly exhausted. These expensive supplies are normally delivered by the Yemeni Ministry of Health every three months, but the latest delivery due earlier this month failed to arrive because of the siege. The siege of Taiz began in the first week of October after Houthi advances in the surrounding countryside. The city was previously under complete Houthi siege between 2015 and 2016 during the early years of Yemen's ongoing war. The situation extends across Taiz governorate, where battles continue between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iranian-allied Houthi fighters.

How it is being reported

• Drinking water supplies dwindle in Yemeni city besieged by Houthi rebelsTaiz, a city in southwestern Yemen, faces a severe water crisis as Houthi rebels backed by Iran tighten their encirclement. The city has struggled with water issues for over a decade, but the situation has worsened in recent weeks.NPR · 24 Oct, 08:04
• Hospital in Yemen’s Taiz warns of collapse in days because of Houthi siegeDialysis patients face shorter treatment sessions as severe shortages of fuel, medicines, and oxygen threaten hospitals.Al Jazeera · 24 Oct, 06:20

In this story: Taiz · Yemen · Republican Hospital · Houthi · Saudi Arabia

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