Houthis Seize 20% of Revenues of Health Sector Facilities

People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Houthis Seize 20% of Revenues of Health Sector Facilities

People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi militias in Yemen have gone beyond the pale by seizing 20% of the financial income of hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories working in Sanaa. The Iran-backed guerrillas will funnel the collected funds to their senior leaders.

The arbitrary measure follows Houthis demanding that major hospitals and clinics, as of August, start paying the salaries of hundreds of its fighters, well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat under conditions of anonymity.

For the last two weeks, Houthi militants staged a far-reaching campaign that saw them install surveillance cameras over accountants' offices in over 80 private hospitals, 960 public clinics, 195 medical laboratories, and 890 private clinics.

The absurd monitoring system is meant to help the Iran-backed militia tighten its grip over the finances of the health sector and discover if institutions are hiding any revenues from the group.

Meanwhile, health workers in Sanaa affirmed that the campaign could not come at a worse time, given that the sector still is suffering from systematic targeting and extortion.

As for the latest levy imposed on health facilities, Houthis demand that 20% of total income be paid as “Khumus” to their leader’s family.

“Under many pretexts, Houthis have launched widespread campaigns against health sector facilities. In one of the campaigns, more than 110 private medical centers were closed in Sanaa and other areas run by the group,” sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Health workers and local reports have affirmed that the Houthi systemic targeting of the sector had triggered a hike in hospital and clinic fees, impacting the lives of thousands of Yemeni patients.

Moreover, Houthis have raised the fees for health sector licensing.

Each doctor now needs to pay 40,000 Yemeni rials to the group to practice medicine in areas of their control. Before the coup, medical practitioners paid the state a fee of 1,500 Yemeni rials.



UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
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UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

The UN aid chief said Wednesday that recent "horrifying scenes" of Gazans being killed while seeking food aid were the result of "deliberate choices that have systematically deprived" them of essentials to survive.

A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of its facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were "considered combat zones".

The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.

"The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

"Emergency medical teams have confirmed treating hundreds of trauma cases. Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire.

"This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive."

He echoed the call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for immediate independent investigations, saying they were not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

"No-one should have to risk their life to feed their children," said Fletcher.

The GHF began operations a week ago, but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

Meanwhile the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, as a trickle.

"We must be allowed to do our jobs: we have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience," said Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

"Open the crossings -- all of them. Let in life-saving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in.

"Ensure our convoys aren't held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire."