Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis has produced numerous heartbreaking stories, but few capture the desperate plight of its people like that of Rajaa Ghirsan, a seamstress struggling to secure life-saving medical care amid systemic barriers. With a healthcare system under immense strain due to conflict, many patients are left to navigate perilous routes for treatment often beyond their reach. While the international community is focused on the geopolitical implications of the war, it is vital to remember the very human costs of this protracted conflict as individuals like Ghirsan fight for their lives daily.
Sanaa, Yemen – Rajaa Ghirsan, a 50-year-old seamstress from Sanaa, the capital under Houthi control, faces an unimaginable struggle for survival. Suffering from vocal cord paralysis and severe laryngeal complications, she relies on a neck-fitted device that helps her breathe, a temporary solution that must be replaced every two months at a cost of 0. Despite undergoing six operations in Egypt and India since 2006 in hopes of restoring normal breathing, she now needs another complex operation abroad.
The conflict in Yemen has ravaged the health system, rendering it unable to provide the necessary specialist care. After registering with the Higher Medical Committee in Sanaa, the authority responsible for arranging overseas medical treatment, Ghirsan has spent seven years attempting to secure a seat on the lone weekly flight to Amman, where many Yemeni patients receive care. Repeated closures and airstrikes have hindered her progress, and the alternative land journey to Aden airport is both dangerous and unaffordable.
“The device has helped her breathe, but it has drained her for years,” remarked her daughter, Nouran al-Salawi, who has been her primary caregiver while managing her own family responsibilities. Ghirsan and countless others depend on Sanaa International Airport, a critical air link for millions within Houthi-controlled regions. The airport has been largely closed since August 2016 when the Saudi-led coalition halted commercial traffic.
Although a United Nations-brokered truce reopened limited flights in May 2022, recent Israeli airstrikes in 2025 damaged the airport, and further assaults have targeted the only working runway, reflecting the ongoing volatility that restricts the movement of not just patients but vital medical supplies. Anis al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run Ministry of Health, revealed that disruptions have adversely affected 400,000 patients, with 250,000 in desperate need of treatment abroad. This includes over 125,000 cancer patients facing critical shortages of essential medications.
Fighting between government forces and Houthis has escalated recently, creating a dire scenario where aid relief is significantly restricted. The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, indicated that the situation has devolved into renewed full-scale war. With Sanaa airport shut and Aden also under threat, patients in northern Yemen are left with scant options.
Mohammed Shajara, a father desperately trying to seek treatment for his paraplegic five-year-old daughter, reflects the despair of many. After being stranded in Tehran when Iranian flights to Sanaa were blocked, he contemplated an arduous 14-hour drive to Aden, fraught with risk due to ongoing conflicts. Abdulkarim Abdullah, 60, faced a similar fate; he required regular dialysis but found himself unable to fly out for a critical treatment due to the collapsed flight schedules.
Healthcare professionals across Yemen highlight the shocking reality that many patients die waiting for treatment, effectively trapped by the war. With a significant portion of Yemenis displaced—over 147,000 in just one month—growing numbers find themselves unable to escape conflict zones to access the medical care they need.
Nadia al-Rashidi of the Hayat Jadida organization in Hadramout reports that flights have slowed dramatically, while necessary security clearances can take weeks to process, further complicating the already precarious situation. Aref al-Hawshabi, from the Health Ministry in Aden, noted that while 1,170 patients from government-held areas submitted their medical files for assistance under a free grants program, many others remain in critical condition without the means to seek help.
As Yemen’s health infrastructure crumbles, the appeals for international support and funding have become increasingly urgent. Yemen needs health assistance for 19.3 million people, yet the humanitarian response remains severely underfunded. If funding continues to wane, essential services, particularly dialysis and cancer treatment, could vanish altogether.
Without a functioning medical evacuation program, many patients are left in a race against time, their health deteriorating daily as doctors witness the dire consequences of their inability to access timely care. The heartbreaking stories emerging from Yemen serve as a reminder that amidst the geopolitical turmoil, the lives of ordinary people hang in the balance, each day representing another struggle for survival.
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