Death, starvation haunt southern Yemen
The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen’s besieged Taiz calls for immediate action to lift the siege that has strangled the city for almost a year.
ADEN, Yemen — The stories and scenes of civilian deaths and starvation in the Yemeni city of Taiz are nightmarish, coming on the heels of the siege imposed since April 2015 by Houthi rebels and forces loyal to deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Anywhere one looks, only pain, sorrow and sadness stare back, in a scene reminiscent of the catastrophic situation that prevailed in Syria’s Madaya.
The siege in Taiz, in southern Yemen, is catastrophic, prompting the United Nations’ World Food Program to announce Feb. 15 that the city faces imminent famine.
Doctors Without Borders was able to deliver some aid in January, but the effort was merely a drop in the bucket. Taiz field hospital director Sadek al-Shujah told Al-Monitor, “For the past 11 months, populated neighborhoods of Taiz have been subjected to daily bombardments by the Houthis and their allies. There is a severe shortage of orthopedic equipment, which, in turn, is negatively affecting both injured people and the medical staff. Many of the surgical cases at hand require treatment in successive stages … [and] surgeries are proving difficult to undertake.”
Shujah added that they face difficulties in procuring medicines and medical supplies, particularly anesthetics, antibiotics, blood transfusion equipment, lab solutions, X-ray films and radiology supplies, as well as other supplies that speed healing. This shortage is complicated by the exodus of pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers that have left because of the siege and the stifling financial crisis.
