Yemeni patients call for immediate reopening of Sana’a airport

Yemeni patients have held yet another gathering inside Sana’a International Airport to call for its reopening, amid a health crisis triggered by the Saudi-led blockade on their country.

Many of the protesters were patients with chronic diseases who hoped to travel abroad for treatment through the medical air-bridge, long-promised by the United Nations. But the air bridge has been blocked by the Saudi-led coalition. 

The war and blockade have cost the lives of thousands of lives among patients. They include children who could survive if they were able to travel for treatment. The health sector is also heavily affected by the fuel crisis that has caused the closure of many health facilities, including dialysis centers, as electric generators stop working.

An all-out blockade is imposed on Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition started its war on the country at the beginning of 2015. The blockade has pushed the war-torn country into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, including by hampering humanitarian aid.

The health sector in Yemen is on the brink of collapse, putting at risk the lives of thousands of patients including children. Amid the crisis, Sana’a International airport is the last hope for those with chronic illnesses to survive.