Yemen: Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic alongside the World’s worst Humanitarian Crisis

Abstract

There is an emerging impetus to improve emergency medicine (EM) in Yemen, beginning with the ongoing expansion of emergency medicine residency training, to the establishment of a professional association of emergency medicine and disaster preparedness and management named the Yemeni Association of Emergency Medicine and Disasters (YAEMD). However, over the past few decades, Yemen faced many difficulties that created further challenges in the development of an effective emergency medical care. This article explores the multiple factors that have led to the current crisis in which the already depleted Yemeni medical sector is faced with battling the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of many existing challenges. The paper examines the distinctive challenges that face Yemen’s emergency departments, including epidemic diseases such cholera, diphtheria, dengue and measles; the geopolitical impact of the ongoing civil war; and the daily threats of violence and homicide against emergency healthcare workers. Potential solutions are explored, including national and international efforts to properly allocate government funds and to implement universal health insurance plans. Further research is needed to investigate possible solutions for evaluating effective change in emergency medical services in Yemen.