Deliberate targeting of Yemen’s health care facilities has worsened its civilians’ dire humanitarian suffering. Yet even with ongoing peace efforts brokered by Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely that this alone will repair the catastrophic damage and scars that Yemen’s war has left behind.
Such intentional destruction of Yemen’s state and infrastructure has created what the United Nations has called the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” which is mostly manmade. The conflict since March 2015, when Saudi Arabia led a coalition against the Houthi rebels and to restore Yemen’s government, has taken over 100,000 lives. Many more have likely died due to Yemen’s failing health care system, particularly as ailments such as cholera and malnourishment put millions of lives at risk.