Yemeni govt warns of impending healthcare crisis amid funding shortfall

Aden, Aug 5 (IANS) The Yemeni government issued a formal warning regarding an impending healthcare crisis, as a severe reduction in international funding threatens the closure of key medical facilities nationwide.

The imminent closure of more than 1,000 key health facilities due to declining international funding could potentially endanger the lives of 500,000 women in the war-ravaged Arab country, according to an official statement released by the state-run Saba news agency.

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak on Sunday convened a high-level government meeting in Aden, the country's southern port city, to address the crisis, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting, he called for the formation of a government committee to develop a strategic plan for assessing the health sector's needs and identifying necessary international interventions.

He also urged international and regional partners to renew their "vital and continuous support" for health services to avert a potential humanitarian disaster.

According to a report presented by Yemeni Minister of Public Health and Population, Qasim Buhaibeh, during the meeting, the funding shortfall threatens to deprive 600,000 children of essential vaccination and healthcare services, weakening the country's ability to combat epidemic outbreaks.

Across Yemen, 46 per cent of health facilities are only partially functioning or completely out of service due to shortages of staff, funds, electricity, medicines and equipment, according to the World Health Organization.