'Critical' Doctor Shortage in 40 Percent of Districts in Yemen Amid Civil War

Civil war has left 40 percent of all districts in Yemen with a critical lack of medical doctors, and more than half of the nation’s medical facilities either closed or partially functioning, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The WHO also surveyed 3,507 surveyed health facilities, of which 1579, or 45 percent, were fully functional and accessible; 1,343, or 38 percent, partially functional; and 504, or 17 percent, non-functional.

"The WHO stated that 49 out of 276 districts have no medical doctors, with 42 per cent of surveyed districts having two doctors or less," the release stated on Monday.

Yemen has been engulfed in violence for more than 18 months — a confrontation between the country's Iranian-backed Shia Houthi rebels, who control the capital of Sanaa, and the nation’s internationally recognized government.

A Saudi-led coalition that is waging an air war against the Houthis has been blamed for thousands of civilian casualties dues to indiscriminate bombings of hospitals, open markets and other civilian spaces.