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UN concerned about worsened health situation of 250,000 besieged people in Yemen

Xinhua, January 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The World Health Organization (WHO) remains concerned about the deteriorating health situation in Taiz, Yemen, where more than 250,000 people have been living in a state of virtual siege since November 2015, said a UN spokesman at Thursday's daily briefing.

All of the city's six hospitals have been forced to partially close some services and are overwhelmed with injured people. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to deliver medical and surgical supplies due to the insecurity, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.

Five WHO trucks carrying medicines and medical supplies have been prevented from entering the city since Dec. 14, 2015. Three of those trucks were carrying 500 cylinders of oxygen that are critically needed by the hospitals, according to Dujarric.

WHO has called on all parties involved in the conflict to allow the secure movement and delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to all people, regardless of their locations.

In times of crisis, it is vital that health facilities remain functional and provide people in need with uninterrupted access to life-saving medical care, said the UN spokesman.

Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been battling the Houthi rebel movement rebels for control of Taiz for months. The city has been under Houthi blockade since March 2015. Endit