By Al-Fassel | 2026-02-19

Thousands of critically ill Yemenis are trapped in a worsening health crisis as Houthi-imposed flight restrictions block access to life-saving treatment abroad.

The group's refusal to allow flights from Sanaa International Airport has left patients with no viable options for urgent care.

In northern Yemen, countless patients suffer prolonged pain or die prematurely as a shattered health system combines with the absence of commercial flights.

Those who attempt the journey face perilous roads and hours-long travel, often in deteriorating conditions.

Aid agencies warn that the inability to fly out of Sanaa is costing lives daily.

Tayseer al-Samei, media officer at the Ministry of Public Health and Population, told Al-Jazeera that thousands of patients die while waiting for a flight.

"The patients are denied the right to travel for treatment purposes, which means they are denied the right to life," al-Samei said.

Patients denied care amid crumbling health system

Yemen's healthcare infrastructure, particularly in Houthi-controlled regions, is collapsing under the weight of outdated equipment and chronic shortages.

Hospitals lack modern diagnostic tools, leading to frequent misdiagnoses and inadequate treatment.

Conditions such as cancer, heart disease and kidney failure often require care unavailable inside Yemen.

The World Health Organization estimates that thousands of patients need medical evacuation each year for specialized treatment abroad.

However, flight restrictions have made these evacuations nearly impossible, leaving many to suffer or die from preventable conditions.

Aid cuts and hostility deepen the crisis

The Houthis' detention of UN aid workers and bureaucratic obstacles have forced humanitarian organizations to scale back operations.

Combined with declining international funding, millions of Yemenis now lack access to essential healthcare services.

The UN has repeatedly called for reopening Sanaa airport to civilian flights, describing the restrictions as a major barrier to humanitarian relief.

Humanitarian groups say the consequences are severe: cancer patients unable to receive chemotherapy, children with congenital heart defects denied surgery and thousands more left untreated.

As the conflict grinds on, Yemen's health crisis grows deadlier by the day, with no clear resolution in sight.

The Houthis' flight restrictions are not just logistical barriers; they are a deliberate act of collective punishment costing innocent lives.

Until Sanaa's skies reopen, Yemen's health crisis will deepen, leaving thousands to die waiting for care.