Yemen : Insulin Shortage in Ibb Leaves Hundreds of Diabetic Patients at Risk

Ibb – Hundreds of diabetic patients in Yemen’s Ibb governorate are facing a worsening crisis due to the continued absence of insulin supplies in the warehouses of the local Health and Population Office, which is under Houthi control. 

The shortage has sparked accusations that officials are manipulating free medical aid and selling it on the black market.

Medical sources said the office’s warehouses have been empty of insulin for months, despite repeated visits by patients and their families, who have received unfulfilled promises of distribution. 

According to the sources, the office receives free insulin shipments from donor organizations, but large portions reportedly disappear after limited and symbolic distributions, later reappearing in private pharmacies and black-market channels. Other quantities are allegedly reserved for Houthi affiliates and intermediaries.

Sources inside the office added that insulin stocks are available at the Houthi-run Ministry of Health in Sana’a, but officials in Ibb have refused to collect them, citing a lack of funds to cover transportation costs.

The crisis has deepened the suffering of diabetic patients in Ibb amid a collapsing health sector and mounting complaints over access to essential medicines, particularly those provided under humanitarian aid programs. Calls are growing for an investigation and accountability for those depriving patients of life-saving treatment.

The International Committee of the Red Cross previously reported that diabetic patients in Yemen face life-or-death struggles to obtain insulin, noting that nearly half of the country’s health facilities have ceased operations due to years of conflict. 

The ICRC mission in Yemen stated that only about 51 percent of health facilities remain functional, underscoring the dire humanitarian situation.