Over 6,000 Violations Against Yemen’s Health Sector Documented

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has reported a staggering 6,231 violations committed by the Iran-backed Houthi militia against health facilities, hospitals, and healthcare workers across several Yemeni provinces. This alarming data covers the period from January 1, 2020, to July 1, 2026.

Overview of Violations

According to a report received by Yemen TV, the violations include direct killings of medical personnel, injuries, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, field executions, physical assaults, closures of health facilities, and targeted attacks with missiles and artillery. Additionally, the report highlights the looting of medical supplies, the sale of medications on the black market, and the denial of treatment to civilians.

Victims Among Healthcare Workers

The report details the following statistics regarding healthcare workers:

• 62 fatalities, including:

  • 29 doctors
  • 14 nurses
  • 19 ambulance drivers

• 87 injuries, comprising:

  • 32 doctors
  • 19 nurses
  • 36 ambulance drivers

The causes of these fatalities and injuries range from direct gunfire, landmines, sniper attacks, indiscriminate shelling, to direct assaults on hospitals.

Arrests and Enforced Disappearances

The report also documents:

• 167 cases of arrest and abduction
• 19 cases of enforced disappearance

Most of the abducted individuals were taken from hospitals and clinics, with their detention conditions meeting the criteria for enforced disappearance.

Targeting of Health Facilities

The report identifies 1,240 violations against health facilities, including:

• 732 instances of closure and invasion of health centers, hospitals, and pharmacies
• 229 cases of partial destruction due to indiscriminate shelling
• 137 instances of seizure and fortification within facilities
• 36 cases of total destruction from missile and artillery strikes
• 65 cases of looting
• 12 cases of bombing and detonation
• 29 direct attacks on ambulances

Theft of Ambulances and Pharmacies

The report highlights:

• 689 cases of ambulance theft, with vehicles repurposed for transporting soldiers and military supplies
• 1,107 instances of pharmacy closures
• The looting of 18 medical supply warehouses, with medical aid diverted for military efforts

Dismissals and Salary Denials

The report reveals:

• 569 cases of dismissal of healthcare staff based on alleged non-allegiance to militia ideology, including:
  • 174 doctors
  • 312 administrative staff
  • 83 nurses

Furthermore, over 48,000 healthcare workers have been denied their salaries.

Targeting of Pharmaceutical Companies

The report indicates:

• 200 pharmaceutical companies and institutions faced harassment
• 50% of pharmacists lost their jobs
• A halt in investment activities related to drug manufacturing and importation

Extortion of International Organizations

The report asserts that the Houthi militia engages in widespread extortion of international organizations. They compel private hospitals to treat militia casualties for free and impose monthly extortion fees amounting to millions of riyals, alongside appointing judicial guards to oversee operations.

Urgent International Call

The network urges the international community, the United Nations, and the Security Council to condemn these grave violations and hold the perpetrators accountable. They call for pressure to cease attacks on the health sector, release abductees, and ensure medical aid reaches civilians without being looted or redirected for military purposes.

For more details, visit Yemen TV.

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