12 Aug 2017 | 03:53 PM UTC
Yemen: Essential blood bank at risk of closing
Yemen’s main blood bank may close after foreign NGO pulls support August 8
Event
Yemen’s National Blood Transfusion Center is at risk of closing after French NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced on August 8 that it plans to cease support for the center after two years. MSF noted that it has transferred responsibility for the center to the World Health Organization (WHO); WHO officials did not provide specifics as to how or whether it intends to prevent the closure of the site. The center’s spokesman noted that its closure would be catastrophic for patients in the war-torn country.
Context
Yemen is engaged in a complex and deadly conflict, ongoing since Houthi rebels entered into a civil war with the Yemeni government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition in 2015. Two rounds of UN-backed peace talks have failed to resolve the conflict.
Approximately 10,000 Yemenis have died in the fighting and over 2.5 million are displaced. The devastating war has also sparked a cholera outbreak, which has affected approximately 350,000 people to date.
Advice
The security situation in Yemen is highly unstable and travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place.
