Yemen's patients face life-threatening delays as airports remain closed

Yemen’s conflict has crippled the only air link for patients in the Houthi-controlled north, leaving them unable to reach foreign hospitals for essential treatment. Rajaa Ghirsan, a 50-year-old seamstress from Sanaa, depends on a $100 neck-device that must be replaced every two months and now requires a complex operation abroad, but flights to Amman have been unavailable for years. Since the Saudi-led coalition closed Sanaa airport in 2016, only limited flights resumed in 2022 before being destroyed by Israeli strikes in 2025 and further sabotaged in July.

Aden’s airport, the alternative for northern patients, has also suffered missile attacks, restricting travel options. The Houthi Health Ministry estimates that about 400,000 patients need overseas care, while shortages of over 1,600 medicines, including cancer drugs, exacerbate the crisis. High travel costs, lengthy security clearance processes, and dangerous overland routes compound the hardship for families seeking treatment.