Yemen’s healthcare system may struggle to support the population as ongoing conflict strains resources, according to Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population, Qasim Buhaibeh, in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Buhaibeh stated that some regions in Yemen could face a complete loss of health services if funding continues to decline. He noted that the health sector may not be able to handle additional waves of displacement caused by the ongoing war, which has already led to the closure of health facilities and shortages of medicines, supplies, and fuel.
Emergency services, maternal and child healthcare, vaccination and nutrition services, as well as dialysis and cancer treatment, are particularly at risk due to the funding decline, Buhaibeh added.
According to health data updated through June 2026, 19.3 million people in Yemen require health assistance, while funding for the response has reached only 17 percent of the necessary amount. Buhaibeh indicated that the proportion of health facilities operating at full capacity has likely decreased to less than 50 percent, compared to a previous estimate of 60 percent by the World Health Organization.
The minister reported that 134,550 people have been displaced by the war between June and September 22, with the majority located in Taiz, Lahij, and Aden. This influx of displaced individuals has added further pressure on health facilities that are already facing resource limitations.
Buhaibeh also mentioned that the reporting of health data from Houthi-controlled areas has been suspended for nearly a year, which hampers authorities' ability to form a complete nationwide picture of the epidemiological situation.
He warned that displacement, malnutrition, and low vaccination coverage are coinciding with outbreaks of cholera, measles, and polio. In 2025, there were over 27,000 confirmed measles cases, and approximately half of Yemen’s children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that nearly 130,000 people, or 30,000 households, have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen since fighting escalated between the Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government coalition forces in early September.