WHO: Nearly 1,700 Killed in Renewed Yemen Fighting Since August

Nearly 1,700 people have been killed and more than 7,300 injured in Yemen since fighting flared again in August, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported, in a toll that shows how heavily the latest escalation has fallen on civilians and on the health services meant to treat them.

The agency put the Yemen fighting toll at 1,677 deaths and 7,395 injuries. The bloodiest recent stretch came between 20 and 25 October, when 559 people were killed or wounded, an average of 93 casualties a day.

FAKTA: Yemen casualties since August

• Deaths: 1,677
• Injuries: 7,395
• Casualties between 20 and 25 October: 559, averaging 93 a day
• Worst-affected provinces: Taiz, Lahj and Marib
• Emergency aid sent to Taiz on 24 October: 56 trauma and emergency kits and about 30 tonnes of medical supplies
• Mobile medical teams still operating in Marib: 6 of 31
• Hospital hit: Al-Thawra General Hospital in Taiz city came under fire on 20 October, injuring three soldiers and one patient

Yemen fighting concentrated in three provinces

According to the WHO, the fighting has remained concentrated in Taiz, Lahj and Marib, while lower casualty figures were recorded in Aden, Al-Dhalea and Shabwa. Taiz itself remains divided: government forces hold the provincial capital and surrounding areas, while Houthi fighters control other parts of the province.

The latest escalation is part of a war that has run for more than a decade. The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government. The renewed fighting since August has pushed an already fragile system closer to breaking point.

Hospitals struggle to cope

On 24 October, the WHO sent 56 trauma and emergency kits to Taiz, along with around 30 tonnes of medical supplies for three hospitals and one health centre. The shipment included 46 kits for trauma care and 10 for emergency health services. Even so, the agency said medical needs remain high in several areas.

In Marib, only six of the 31 mobile medical teams were still operating, sharply limiting treatment for people caught up in the conflict. Al-Thawra General Hospital in Taiz city came under fire on 20 October, leaving three soldiers and one patient injured. The WHO warned that damage to health facilities, together with shortages of medicine, fuel and water, could raise the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.

A toll that is probably understated

The WHO has previously cautioned that its counts almost certainly understate the true scale of the crisis, because it receives no casualty data from areas under Houthi control, where most of Yemen’s population lives. Independent monitors have put the wider death toll higher still, counting fighters as well as civilians.

The agency’s message is blunt: violence and supply shortages are making it harder for people to receive essential medical care, and health services must be protected and kept within reach. More international news is available on Watan News International’s English pages.