Yemen’s crumbling health system leaves patients without treatment options

Outdated medical equipment, airport closures, and funding cuts combine to jeopardise patient outcomes in Yemen.

Sanaa, Yemen – Hadeel Abdullah, a 23-year-old college student in Sanaa, was in a lecture hall when she suddenly felt faint, and fell to the ground. Her classmates raised her frail body, moved her to the dining hall and gave her water.

After 30 minutes, she felt better and returned home. She often loses consciousness, and that was not the first time.

Hadeel has been struggling with abdominal pain for one year. Her stomach is sensitive to many types of food and beverages, including chicken, meat, and milk.

She has visited multiple doctors in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and had many medical tests in search of the right diagnosis and the perfect prescription. All her efforts, along with the expenses she endured, have been to no avail.

“I have adhered to the prescribed medications without fail. My body regains strength for a short time, but I fall sick again. This has exhausted my health and my finances,” she said.