Taiz city in Yemen is facing a serious humanitarian crisis, with over 13,000 pregnant women deprived of essential healthcare services due to conflicts and access restrictions. This situation has led to an increase in the rate of miscarriages and childbirth complications.
Impact of Conflicts on Healthcare Services
Conflicts around Taiz city have resulted in the disruption of humanitarian aid access and the inability of residents to leave the area. This situation has arisen following an escalation of conflicts between the Saudi-backed government and the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis). According to the United Nations, key supply routes, including the Taiz-Adan corridor, have been blocked by Houthi forces, exacerbating severe shortages of water, food, and fuel.
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Situation of Pregnant Women and Infants
Yemen has previously had the highest maternal mortality rate in the Arab region, and estimates suggest that three women die daily due to complications from childbirth. The representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Yemen, Francesco Galteri, has stated that recently, midwives supported by this agency have reported an increase in miscarriages and unsafe deliveries in the region.
The United Nations Population Fund expects around 1,500 emergency childbirth cases among 6,400 displaced pregnant women. Of the 27 health centers designated for emergency childbirth and infant services in the area, only 5 centers are still partially operational. Meanwhile, essential healthcare services for approximately 147,000 women and girls of childbearing age have been suspended.
Galteri stated that "no woman should risk her life due to childbirth in a war zone," adding that at the main maternal and child care hospital, the number of daily deliveries has decreased to about 5 cases. Most incubators in this hospital have become unusable due to fuel shortages, and security instability and high fuel prices have hindered many women and medical staff from traveling to this location.
Galteri warned that if access restrictions are not lifted in the coming days, this hospital may also be completely shut down. Additionally, over 800,000 people in Taiz and surrounding areas have been deprived of food assistance, and pregnant women are surviving solely on tea, bread, or rice.
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