Cairo, Nov 12 — Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy on Thursday warned of a looming health and humanitarian crisis in Yemen's southwestern Taiz province amid severe shortages of fuel, oxygen, medicines and medical supplies at hospitals.
In a statement, Fahmy expressed deep concern over the deteriorating health situation, adding that the shortages threaten to disrupt essential medical services, particularly incubators for premature and newborn babies.
He cautioned that continued obstruction of vital supplies could trigger a humanitarian disaster, putting children and other patients at immediate risk.
"Depriving civilians of medical care and humanitarian assistance is unacceptable," Fahmy said, stressing that saving lives should not be delayed or subjected to political or military considerations, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Arab League chief called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential supplies to Taiz, as well as ensuring safe passage for patients and medical personnel.
He held the Houthis responsible for the humanitarian consequences of the continued restrictions and called for investigations and accountability.
Fahmy also urged humanitarian organisations and relevant parties to take urgent action to secure hospitals' needs and ensure safe, sustained and unhindered delivery to prevent interruptions to medical care.
At least 11 people were killed Saturday in airstrikes on a village near Yemen's capital Sanaa, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported, blaming Saudi warplanes for the attacks amid escalating hostilities in the war-torn country.
The airstrikes destroyed five residential houses in Ash Sharyah village in Bani Hushaysh district, east of Sanaa, with women and children among the dead, according to the channel.
The head of the district's health office told al-Masirah that rescue teams had recovered 11 bodies from the rubble, adding that the death toll remained preliminary as search and recovery operations continued.
The channel also reported that Saudi warplanes launched two additional airstrikes targeting rescue workers and struck roads leading to the village, while military aircraft continued to fly over the area.