WHO warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen as fighting leaves 959 dead, displaces nearly 198,000
WHO warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen as fighting leaves 959 dead, displaces nearly 198,000
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a deepening humanitarian and health crisis in Yemen as intensified fighting continues to place additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
According to WHO data based on figures from Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population up to October 2, the escalation has resulted in at least 959 deaths and 4,207 injuries across ten governorates.
The organization said displacement has also increased significantly, with nearly 198,000 people forced to flee their homes, according to data from Yemen’s Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps. Some families have been displaced multiple times, while around 3,800 people have crossed into Djibouti.
WHO’s representative in Yemen warned that the situation risks developing into a complex health emergency, particularly due to severe gaps in trauma care and emergency medical services in conflict-affected areas.
The organization noted that emergency stabilization points in Lahj and Al-Dhale’e lack sufficient operational support, while hospitals and health facilities are facing growing pressure from increasing numbers of wounded people and displaced families.
WHO reported that around half of health facilities in affected governorates are not receiving support from humanitarian partners. Medical services have reached only about 1,250 displaced people, representing less than one percent of the total displaced population, leaving many families, particularly in Taiz and Lahj, without adequate healthcare access.
The organization also highlighted shortages of surgical supplies, anesthesia materials, blood bank equipment, and fuel in hospitals. It warned that the suspension of emergency maternal health services in Marib and Ras al-Ara has further increased risks for civilians and displaced communities amid continued escalation.
