Yemen - On 27 March 2017, IOM donated approximately three tons of medicine and medical supplies to Al-Thawra General Modern Hospital located in Sana’a, Yemen.

Al-Thawra Hospital is the largest public hospital in Yemen, providing services to the whole community, including migrants and refugees, who receive the same care and pay the same minimum charges as the local population.

Yemen’s health-care system is on the brink of collapse. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 45 percent of health facilities in Yemen are fully functional and accessible, 38 percent are partially functional and 17 percent are non-functional. At least 274 of facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the current conflict.

Like many other medical facilities, Al-Thawra Hospital has been crippled by the ongoing conflict. The hospital is overwhelmed by the increasing volume of patients, partly due to the number of people who have been displaced to Sana’a by the conflict. According to WHO, almost 4.5 million people in Yemen, including 2 million children, require treatment for malnutrition or to prevent it, representing a 150 percent increase since late 2014.

The hospital is suffering from a lack of funding, medical supplies and equipment. The healthcare budget has been considerably reduced, leaving the health sector without funds for operational costs and health care employees have not been paid salaries since September 2016. Al-Thawra hospital is also in dire need of improved water and sanitation facilities.

Most people seeking medical assistance are unable to find the help they need inside Yemen. Seeking medical care outside the country is not an option due to the closure of Sana’a International Airport.

Throughout 2016 and 2017, IOM provided public hospitals with water tanks, solar panels, rechargeable batteries, electrical networks, medical supplies and equipment, as well as daily water trucks providing clean water.

The donation of medicines and medical supplies to Al-Thawra Hospital has been funded through support provided by the Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, US Agency for International Development.

For further information please contact, Saba Malme at IOM Yemen, Tel: + 967 736 800 329, Email: smalme@iom.int