7 November 2022 – Against the backdrop of Yemen’s long-running civil conflict and deepening humanitarian crisis, WHO is working with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and EU Humanitarian Aid to sustain and strengthen the country’s only life-saving pre-hospital trauma and emergency care services in the metropolitan area of Aden governorate.
For the fifth consecutive year, Yemen is recording the highest country caseload of conflict-related trauma in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Injuries account for 60% of deaths among children ages 5–14, as well as 36% of deaths among persons from 15 to 64 years of age, yet the country has no formalized pre-hospital services, apart from those supported by EU Humanitarian Aid and provided by WHO in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Aden governorate.
WHO, with EU Humanitarian Aid's support, is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to sustain and strengthen the life-saving pre-hospital referral system through provision of 11 ambulances, 33 trained paramedics and drivers, 14 operating staff and a dedicated 24/7 dispatch centre for the 195 emergency telephone number. The partnership is also keeping services running by providing operational support for fuel, medical equipment and capacity-building to improve the quality of health care.