More than three weeks after the incident, the Houthi militia acknowledged that ten cancer patients had been hurt by smuggled and outdated medications.
The incident was met with wide popular discontent, while information reported that the number of deaths reached more than 18 children out of 45 children who were injected, according to identical medical and media sources.
The Houthi rebel government, which is not recognised internationally, stated on Thursday that “ten youngsters with blood cancers between the ages of 3 and 15 years” had passed away.
The Houthi Ministry also confirmed that “19 children were injected with smuggled medicines at Kuwait Hospital in Sana’a,” noting that “the results of the investigation led to the discovery of bacterial pollution in the drug packages used.
It is notable that the Houthi militia uses the territories under its control as a market for illicit and corrupt pharmaceuticals that its leadership oversees and returns to them with enormous wealth through drug smuggling and trafficking that endangers the lives of thousands of patients.
Since its takeover, the militia has increased its grip on the drug trade, dominating the drug market and providing and distributing drugs through businesses that are connected to it and are under the direction of Houthi commanders.
The Yemeni Organization for Combating Human Trafficking charged the Houthi militia-controlled Ministry of Health in Sanaa with administering a dose of outdated medications after altering the expiration date, leading to the death and damage of numerous cancer-stricken youngsters.
International organisations demanded that the field descend to Kuwait Hospital and an investigation into the matter, and stressed the need to reveal and prosecute those involved, while the Houthi authorities in Sana’a accused the cover-up of the crime and preventing the publication of any information about it.
After three weeks, Al-Houthi acknowledges that “fatal injections” caused the deaths of children.
About Author
