The Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen have looted millions of rials allocated for health centers' personnel in Houthi-held regions, a source in the Ministry of Health and Population in Sanaa has revealed.
The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said some influential individuals in the ministry received huge amounts of money originally dedicated to health centers' employees. They managed to receive the funds after forging the related documents.
The millions handed out to the ministry in ambiguous conditions are incentives funded by international organizations for employees of health centers in 2018. The development forced some employees to shut several centers amid suspicious silence by the ministry.
The source continued that a gang of powerful individuals is trafficking medical aid provided by relief international organizations.
He called for quick action to tackle the disastrous condition in the health sector and for the formation of a committee to investigate the fate of the incentives. The same source warned of the danger of disregarding corruption crimes.
This coincides with several other accusations against the militias for looting food from the impoverished.
Yemen’s Executive High Relief Committee said in a statement on Tuesday that the Houthis, between May 2015 and December 2018, have banned access to 88 ships with humanitarian aid and other products to the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef in Hodeidah governorate. It explained that 34 of these ships were held for six months, so the bulk of the load went bad.
It also noted that seven vessels were directly attacked by the insurgents during the same period, while sailing in the Red Sea off the Yemeni coast. Four of the vessels were from Saudi Arabia, two were from UAE and one was from Turkey.
