Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
A new scandal has rocked Yemen’s health sector, with official documents exposing the embezzlement of millions of riyals meant for patient care in Hudaidah. Rights groups say the looting has left hospitals and clinics paralyzed, pushing hundreds of vulnerable patients to the brink of death.
According to an investigation by the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, Houthi authorities seized more than 11 million Yemeni riyals allocated to keep health centers running in the second quarter of 2025. The report also revealed that over 2 billion riyals in hospital support funds for the first half of the year were blocked, crippling medical services across the governorate.
Clinics Shuttered, Patients at Risk
The fallout has been devastating. Dozens of rural health centers have shut their doors, leaving families in remote areas without care. Hospitals that remain open are running dangerously low on essential drugs and supplies — including life-saving medicines. Rights monitors warn that hundreds of critical patients are now at risk of dying simply because the system has been starved of funds.
Senior Houthi Figures Implicated
The investigation names several high-ranking Houthi officials as key players in the diversion of funds, including Abdulkarim Al-Mutawakkil and Khaled Abdulkarim Al-Madani. It also highlights the role of the Houthi-appointed health director in Hudaidah, Abdulrahman Al-Mutawakkil, accusing him of channeling medical budgets into other, undisclosed uses.
Rights Violations
The Yemeni Network says the scheme is more than just corruption: it is a direct violation of international human rights law. The report cites Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which guarantee the right to health.
“These practices are part of a systematic policy by the Houthis to divert public resources for military purposes, at the expense of civilian lives,” the group said in a statement.
Call for International Action
The rights network is urging the United Nations and the World Health Organization to step in immediately. It also called on international donors to enforce strict oversight to ensure aid reaches patients instead of being exploited for political or military gain.
“Every day that passes without action is another day when lives are lost,” the organization warned.
