Thousands of Yemenis Face Death Due to Saudi Siege: Norwegian Council

YemenExtra

M.A.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said that the number of Yemenis who died for not being able to travel to receive medical care due to the closure of Sana’a Airport exceeded the number of people killed by Saudi airstrikes.

The director of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Yemen, Mutasim Hamdan, said in a statement received by the Yemeni news agency (Saba): “The prevention of traveling has sentenced the death of thousands of Yemenis suffering from diseases that can be avoided, except for those killed by air raids and cholera, the war destroys the lives of Yemenis on all fronts. “

“Without access to safe commercial travel, Yemenis are left without any means of access to important medical care. The result is devastating; thousands of women, men and children who could have been saved have now lost their lives,” it added.

“Public services in Yemen are under the pressure of war, hundreds of thousands of people are wounded, struggling with disease or need services, but there is a significant reduction in the resources needed to meet their needs,” Hamdan stated.

Moreover, the Director of the Council stressed the need to re-open all channels of domestic and international air traffic so that assistance and aid reach Yemenis.

According to data from the Ministry of Health in Sana’a, 10,000 Yemenis died of health conditions, seeking medical treatment abroad, while the number of people killed by the violence is close to 9,000.

He noted that before the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, an estimated seven thousand Yemenis were traveling abroad through Sana’a International Airport for medical treatment, a number that increased significantly after the escalation of violence in early 2015.

The restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemeni airspace shut down Sana’a International Airport officially before commercial flights on August 9, 2016, leaving many Yemenis without safe transportation inside or outside the country.