The ongoing conflict in Yemen that escalated sharply in March 2015 has led to the near collapse of the country’s already fragile health care system. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in June 2016 that 50 percent of hospitals are either not functioning or partially functioning and 25 percent of all health facilities have shut down due to damages, or shortages of staff, medicines, and other resources. Many health care facilities have been indirectly damaged during conflict; however, many have also been directly targeted by parties to conflict. Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) and other humanitarian organizations have systematically shared the GPS coordinates of hospitals in which they work with parties involved in the conflict, in order to prevent unintended strikes, particularly through aerial bombing. However in many cases, this has been to no avail. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between March 2015 and March 2016, more than 100 health facilities had been attacked, 11 health workers killed, and 17 injured. Most commonly, hospitals have been directly hit by airstrikes carried-out by the Saudi-led Coalition. However, Houthis, Yemeni forces, and other armed groups have also looted and occupied hospitals, shot at and abducted ambulances, and denied passage at checkpoints to persons attempting to reach hospitals to receive lifesaving treatment or deliver essential medicines and supplies.
The following set of maps are an attempt to provide a spatial and visual analysis of different elements of the conflict and its effect on the Yemeni health care system.
Over the course of approximately 15 months from March 2015 to June 2016, there have been over XX (100?) direct or indirect attacks on health facilities in Yemen. More text TBD...
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