Houthis Kidnap Medics for Refusing to Treat Wounded Fighters at Battlefronts

Houthi fighters in Yemen's capital Sanaa on December 9, 2020. (AFP)
Houthi fighters in Yemen's capital Sanaa on December 9, 2020. (AFP)
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Houthis Kidnap Medics for Refusing to Treat Wounded Fighters at Battlefronts

Houthi fighters in Yemen's capital Sanaa on December 9, 2020. (AFP)
Houthi fighters in Yemen's capital Sanaa on December 9, 2020. (AFP)

Houthi militias in Yemen are back to kidnapping health workers, Sanaa-based medics told Asharq Al-Awsat. The abduction campaign was likely restarted after physicians refused to help the Iran-backed group treat its injured fighters at frontlines.

Public hospitals, like Al Thawra General Hospital, are being targeted for the capture of their doctors and workers, the sources reported.

Taha Al-Mutawakil, the health minister of the Houthi self-styled government, had ordered a number of hospitals to put together teams of combat medics that would deploy to battlefronts and provide emergency medical treatment to wounded soldiers.

The directive, however, was snubbed by many in the health sector. Their rejection forced Houthis to resort to kidnapping health staffers, sources noted.

In the last few days, more than 12 doctors and 17 healthcare givers have been abducted from hospitals in Sanaa, they revealed.

What is more is that Houthi authorities fired a number of administrative officials in the health sector and replaced them with their loyalists.

After Al-Mutawakil’s call for enlisting emergency medics, registration was open for deployment to battlefronts in the governorates of Marib, Al-Jawf, Dhale and Hajjah.

Disregarding the strains weighing down on the local health sector, which has been weakened by years of wars, Houthis are exploiting resources at hospitals, kidnapping physicians and stealing medical aid sent by international relief organizations.

“At a time when the coronavirus is killing dozens, if not hundreds, of Yemenis living under militia rule, Houthis are pushing for more exploiting of health institutions and workers to serve their war effort,” a Sanaa-based health worker, who requested anonymity, complained to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Last week, the UN warned of the “imminent collapse of the health situation in Yemen”.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Twitter: “20.1 million people in Yemen are in need of medical assistance.”

It added that 51 per cent of the country's health facilities were fully functioning, noting that “67 out of 333 districts do not have doctors.”



Israel’s Defense Minister Says Hezbollah ‘Will Pay Increasing Price’

18 September 2024, Israel, Haifa: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks to Israeli army soldiers during his visit to the Ramat David airbase. (Ariel Hermoni/GPO/dpa)
18 September 2024, Israel, Haifa: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks to Israeli army soldiers during his visit to the Ramat David airbase. (Ariel Hermoni/GPO/dpa)
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Israel’s Defense Minister Says Hezbollah ‘Will Pay Increasing Price’

18 September 2024, Israel, Haifa: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks to Israeli army soldiers during his visit to the Ramat David airbase. (Ariel Hermoni/GPO/dpa)
18 September 2024, Israel, Haifa: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks to Israeli army soldiers during his visit to the Ramat David airbase. (Ariel Hermoni/GPO/dpa)

Israel’s defense minister said Thursday that Hezbollah “will pay an increasing price” as Israel seeks to make conditions near its border with Lebanon safe enough for residents to return to their homes.

Yoav Gallant’s comments came as Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes and the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed retaliation against Israel for a mass bombing attack in Lebanon.

“Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price,” said Gallant. “The sequence of our military actions will continue.”

Nasrallah said on Thursday this week’s deadly attack on the Iran-backed group’s communications devices was a “severe blow” that crossed a “red line.”

He added group is investigating how the two-day attack, which killed more than 30, wounded thousands and was widely believed to be carried out by Israel.

“Yes, we were subjected to a huge and severe blow,” he said. “The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines.”

As usual, Nasrallah spoke by video from an undisclosed location. Hezbollah typically convenes a rally for supporters to watch his speeches on a big screen, but this time they did not.