Yemen public health emergency preparedness

Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population has initiated several measures to strengthen the country’s medical emergency response capabilities. Initially, Minister Dr. Qasim Buhaybeh called for integrated emergency plans that account for the specific geographic and resource realities of individual provinces. This period included specialized training for health workers in Aden, supported by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, to improve care for victims of gender-based violence in the Abyan, Lahj, and Taiz governorates. Following military escalations and field developments, the Minister subsequently ordered heightened readiness across hospitals and intensive care units. New directives focused on strengthening stockpiles of medicines, surgical supplies, and blood bank reserves. To ensure continuous coverage for critical cases, the Ministry also mandated 24-hour operational systems for ambulances and oxygen production. In response to recent escalations that have caused increased casualties, mass displacement, and damage to medical assets, Dr. Buhaybeh met with the Health Cluster in Aden to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation. During this meeting, Ministry undersecretaries and WHO representative Dr. Syed Jaffar reviewed the urgent need to enhance the readiness of emergency departments, intensive care units, ambulance fleets, and medical referral services. Dr. Buhaybeh emphasized the necessity of “unified efforts and flexible coordination” between the Ministry and international organizations to maintain basic health services for vulnerable and displaced populations. International partners reaffirmed their commitment to providing funding and emergency support to prevent the collapse of essential medical services. Expanding these coordination efforts, Minister Buhaybeh met with representatives from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Aden to discuss strengthening emergency medical responses and developing future interventions. The discussions addressed the rising number of patients requiring urgent care due to increased military operations.