A new hospital hit in Yemen. Several MSF members affected

(B2) This is the third healthcare facility in Yemen hit in a few months. This is starting to do a lot! And this raises questions about the sense of respect for the humanitarian laws of the various belligerents, in particular the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which should be a little more demanding on its rules of engagement. MSF has also asked the coalition led by Saudi Arabia " to investigate this incident and that there be an immediate end to these attacks against medical structures. The European Union has strongly condemned this bombardment, a clear breach of international humanitarian law – without however venturing to ask that all the light be shed on these incidents. That would be tricky...

Two seriously affected MSF members

On Sunday (January 10), in fact, around 9:20 a.m. (local time), the Shiara health center which was in Razeh, in northern Yemen, an area controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels at war against government forces supported by an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia, was hit by a projectile, the origin of which was not yet fully understood. Is it an air strike: certain clues suggest it, in particular the fact that planes were flying over the region. This attack killed four people and injured 10. And this assessment could increase warns the humanitarian organization. " Three of the injured patients are staff members of MSF and two of them are in critical condition »

A frontline hospital

The district of Razeh is on a "very active front line", stresses MSF. The population of the area has been hard hit by constant shelling and the cumulative impact of ten months of war ". Shiara hospital had already been bombed before MSF started providing support and its services had been limited to patient stabilization, emergencies, maternity and life-saving activities.

Two other incidents

On October 27, Haydan hospital was destroyed by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike and on December 3, a health center in Taiz was also hit by a coalition attack, killing nine wounded.

(NGV with LH)

Read this testimony from an MSF nurse on the situation in Yemen which receives little media attention: Yemen: out of breath in the besieged enclave of Taiz

As well as our interview with the head of the ICRC (June 2015): Yemen, a lasting conflict, a country on the edge of the abyss. Europe has a huge role to play (C. Schweizer)