Yemen Monitor / Special Report:
The recent U.S. airstrikes have worsened the suffering of the healthcare sector in areas under Houthi control, casting a heavy shadow over civilians who now face increasing difficulty accessing medical care.
Residents in the capital, Sana’a, reported that public hospitals have turned into military-style facilities under tight security, making access to treatment extremely difficult for civilians who now have few options left.
Izz al-Din Hamdan, a resident of the Mathbah neighborhood in Sana’a, expressed his fear over being unable to get emergency care for children or access necessary medications. He stressed that private hospitals are unaffordable for most people, especially as U.S. airstrikes continue and the number of casualties rises.
In recent weeks, as airstrikes targeting Houthi military sites intensified, public hospitals have shut their doors to civilians and redirected their capacity toward treating Houthi fighters, amid heightened security measures.
A medical adviser in Sana’a—speaking anonymously—said that the healthcare system is going through its worst phase since 2014, due to crumbling infrastructure and limited resources. He noted that the escalation in U.S. attacks and recent sanctions have increased the burden on citizens who cannot afford private healthcare.
Medical sources reported that the Houthis have moved vital equipment and medical devices from major public hospitals like Al-Thawra, Al-Jumhouri, and Kuwait Hospital to military hospitals such as Al-Mu’ayyad, Police, Al-Quds, and 48 Hospital, which are now dedicated exclusively to treating Houthi casualties.
Human rights activists believe these measures have created a massive gap in healthcare services, as care is now focused on a specific group, while the majority of the population is deprived of their basic right to treatment—a violation of international humanitarian standards.
Saeed Malik, an employee at a medical center in Sana’a, said the Houthis have summoned doctors from various specialties and deployed medically trained personnel who underwent sectarian indoctrination to run ICUs and surgical departments in military hospitals.
Observers say this represents a clear militarization of the health sector, redirecting it to serve combat objectives, while civilians are left without adequate treatment or healthcare.
Although Houthi authorities claim that 107 people were killed and 223 injured—including women and children—in the U.S. strikes, local and medical sources question the accuracy of these figures, suggesting that the actual numbers may be much higher.
Those sources also confirmed that the group has imposed a strict ban on the dissemination of casualty information and warned medical staff against leaking any data, further heightening public anxiety.
This secrecy has increased concerns about the collapse of healthcare services amid continued military operations and rising casualty numbers, especially as airstrikes expand into other provinces.
In Hajjah province, a resident named Khaled A. revealed that Al-Jumhouri Hospital has become a closed facility serving only Houthi fighters, despite being equipped by international organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières. Civilians are now being charged high fees comparable to those in private hospitals.
The same pattern is seen in multiple provinces, where access to medical care has become a privilege tied to political affiliation. Civilians are often forced to sell possessions or leave hospitals empty-handed.
Dr. Moheeb Al-Maghrabi from Hajjah warned that denying civilians medical treatment due to financial hardship constitutes a grave violation, adding that transforming hospitals into class-based institutions undermines the humanitarian mission of the health sector.
In Hodeidah province, healthcare worker Waddah Al-Haij said the Houthis have evacuated civilians from hospitals and transferred them to poorly equipped smaller centers, while reserving major hospitals exclusively for their wounded fighters.
The healthcare sector in Houthi-controlled areas faces a grim future as humanitarian organizations reduce or suspend operations, while the need for medical services rises due to ongoing airstrikes, increasing injuries, and worsening economic conditions.
Healthcare workers painted a bleak picture of the humanitarian situation, reporting severe shortages of medicines and supplies amid a growing influx of civilian casualties.
Medical staff have called for coordinated efforts from international organizations, official bodies, and local actors to salvage what can be saved. They stressed the urgent need to depoliticize the health sector to ensure that care is provided to all residents without discrimination.
