The Coalition of Humanitarian Relief in Taiz announced that it continues to distribute medical aid that is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and the World Health Organization (WHO) amongst hospitals, and that this is being supervised by the Supreme Medical Committee in the governorate.
The medical aid includes medicine, medical supplies for surgical procedures, solutions, antibiotics and medicines used to treat fungi and parasites. The provision of supplies is part of an urgent project to support hospitals in Taiz and that aims to distribute 12 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies amongst 12 hospitals in the city of Taiz and seven health centres in different districts of the province. Hospitals and health centres in Taiz are suffering from a scarcity of basic materials and medical supplies for surgical procedures. In addition to this, there is a risk that a number of hospitals could close at any moment as a result of running out of medicines.
While Taiz is suffering from an increasingly serious humanitarian situation as a result of the blockade that has been enforced by Houthi militias and those loyal to the ousted president Saleh on passageways out of Taiz for the last year and a half, the militias prevented the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) from entering Taiz during the truce which they did not adhere to.
In a previous statement that UNICEF made, the organisation said that “An aid convoy loaded with humanitarian aid headed towards Taiz on Saturday but was not able to enter because of delays at military checkpoints”.
UNICEF’s Regional Chief of Communication for the Middle East and North Africa Juliette Touma said that UNICEF is continuing its work with all parties to the conflict in order to secure access to Taiz and other areas in Yemen in order to provide humanitarian assistance to needy children and families. She added that the organisation “implores all parties to the conflict to secure humanitarian aid for all children in need all over Yemen, and to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to children in a lawful manner”.