Hospitals in Yemen’s Taiz region are struggling to cope with a surge in casualties as intensified fighting between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement continues to escalate. Medical staff report critical shortages of essential supplies, including medicine, oxygen, surgical gloves, anaesthetic, and fuel, severely hampering the ability to provide care.

In the village of Al-Shaqb, located on the slopes of Mount Sabir overlooking Taiz, 25-year-old pregnant mother Amal al-Sabri was shot by a sniper while trapped in her home without food or water for two days. The bullet lodged near her spine, but doctors at Al-Thawra hospital were unable to perform a scan or remove the bullet due to her pregnancy, which is now endangered. “Now I am giving up the fetus,” Sabri said.

Taiz governorate, home to roughly half of the 281,000 people displaced since August, has been largely isolated since October 3. Ongoing fighting has blocked humanitarian aid deliveries and restricted civilian movement, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Hospitals near Yemen’s front lines, including Taiz, Marib, and the Red Sea coast, have seen a rise in patients with gunshot wounds and complex blast injuries.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that some hospitals have treated up to 700 war-wounded patients in a single week, underscoring the severe strain on medical facilities. “The healthcare system across Yemen is at a breaking point,” ICRC spokesperson Hachem Osseiran said.

Before the current escalation, more than 40% of Yemen’s hospitals and healthcare facilities were closed or only partially operational due to the prolonged conflict that has gripped the country for years. The situation is compounded by diminishing water supplies and accumulating waste in urban areas, raising fears of disease outbreaks.

Maternity care across Yemen has also been severely disrupted. In conflict-affected areas, some hospitals have converted maternity wards into emergency rooms to accommodate the influx of war casualties, further limiting access to primary care for pregnant women. Aid agencies continue to highlight the urgent need for unhindered access to medical supplies and humanitarian assistance to prevent further deterioration of the health crisis in Yemen.