The night between Thursday, October 15 and Friday 16, Razeh hospital, in the Saada governorate, was hit by rocket fire. The staff and patients were forced to evacuate the premises the following day, despite the many wounded in need of continued medical attention. Just the day before, ten war-wounded patients, including six children and two women, had been hospitalized in the facility.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reiterates its call to the warring parties to guarantee respect for medical facilities and to facilitate patients’ access to care.

MSF has been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in two hospitals in Al Talh and Razeh, in the Saada governorate, since late 2007, providing medical and surgical care free of charge. Despite difficulties, activities had continued uninterrupted until now, thanks to an agreement between both parties to the conflict. But medical work is no longer possible given that even the minimum security conditions are no longer met.

Since the fighting broke out and work stopped in Al Talh (on September 27) and Razeh (on October 16), MSF and Yemeni Ministry of Health’s medical teams have carried out some 2000 emergency consultations and performed 195 surgical interventions (70% percent involving war wounds), 330 hospitalizations and over 130 deliveries. These were the last two secondary healthcare facilities still operating in the governorate, outside the town of Saada, making their suspension of care of particular concern.

“After more than two months of non-stop intensive fighting, the medical and surgical needs in the Saada region are running high, but most of the population can no longer reach any medical facilities,” said Dr. Isabelle Defourny, programme manager for MSF’s programmes in Yemen. “There is an urgent need to set up a hospital in an area where safety conditions will allow patients to safely access medical care.”

Such safety conditions currently exist in Mandabah (district of Baqim), located to the north of the governorate, where a number of people have gathered fleeing the fighting. MSF’ teams have been conducting evaluations in this area since late August, and consider it a priority to set up a hospital there right away.

Our medical and surgical teams are ready to provide assistance. MSF is waiting for the authorization of the authorities to begin providing secondary health care in Mandabah as soon as possible.