Shortages in medical materials compound suffering of cancer patients in Yemen‏‏

Ali Jabri holds his crying son Ayoub before chemotherapy at the largest cancer hospital in the Yemeni capital Sana'a، where eight years of war have left life-saving medicines and equipment in short supply.

The 12-year-old patient is one of 81،000 patients seeking free treatment registered at National Oncology Centers (NOCs) across Yemen، who are increasingly hampered by shrinking funding and restrictions on the movement of goods in a country dependent on imports.

"He's getting worse and worse،" Jabri said، standing by the bed، in tears as Ayyub، who started treatment for throat cancer three years ago، received an intravenous drip.

"Hospitals give the medicines they have، but you have to buy expensive medicines outside..، " he said.

The internationally recognized government funded two parallel centers in the south where it is located after it was driven out of Sanaa by the Houthis in 2014.

Jabri، a father of six، who earns a living as a day-to-day farm worker in the western province of Hudaydah، has been able to live with the charity of the Al Shafaqa Foundation، which provided him with shelter and food during his treatment.

The son took to Sanaa. The foundation is funded by local، Arab and international charities، as well as local businesses.

The war in Yemen destroyed the economy and basic services، including health care، leaving 80 percent of the population in need of aid.

Many suppliers are reluctant to submit bids for medicines due to the … lengthy transportation process and the risks and high cost of transportation،” he said.

NOC‘s radiotherapy unit has two machines، one of which no longer works. Patient Belal Abdulaziz said he sometimes spends the entire day waiting for his five-minute session.

“Why should I wait all day while I am sick?”، he said.