Taiz Houban, Yemen- Since 2015, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has operated the mother and child hospital in Al-Houban, Taiz governorate — one of the few facilities providing free, high-quality healthcare in a region deeply affected by more than a decade-long conflict. At the end of July 2025, after 10 years of service, MSF officially handed over the hospital to the Ministry of Health (MoH). Just before the handover, patients and the hospital equipment were moved to the new premises, jointly built by MSF and the MoH.
Although the handover decision comes amid a challenging humanitarian landscape, including recent reductions in global aid, suspension of USAID funding and regional tensions – which have all further strained the health systems in Yemen – the handover was envisioned years ago. Namely, the transition itself started when MSF decided to work in co-management with the MoH.
When MSF started the intervention in Taiz Houban, in 2015, the area was identified as one of the most underserved in Taiz.
The impact of MSF’s intervention in Taiz Houban over the past decade is significant: MSF treated some 185,000 children under five years old in our ambulances, while over 200,000 were admitted to the emergency room. MSF staff assisted 67,000 deliveries and offered post-natal care for 133,000 patients. We treated 13,846 children and babies for malnutrition, performed over 10,000 surgical interventions, while admitting 32,165 children to pediatric and neonatal wards. In total, over a million patients received treatment in Taiz Houban hospital over the past 10 years.
With a population of around 940,000 people in Taiz City and surrounding areas, patients often travelled long distances to reach the hospital as, for many of them, it was the only place they could access healthcare.
In addition to co-building the new hospital, MSF will support the authorities with incentives for the hospital staff, medicines and other relevant goods and supplies necessary for the normal operation of the Taiz Houban hospital for the next six months. This will ensure a proper handover and continuation of services for the local community.
MSF is not leaving Yemen or its people. MSF remains present in the country and offers healthcare services to the people in ten out of 22 governorates.
MSF has been working in Yemen since 1986 and has maintained a continuous presence in the country since 2007. Years of conflict have decimated Yemen’s public infrastructure, while millions of people lack access to clean water, food and medical care. MSF’s work in Yemen and around the world is guided solely by medical needs and carried out without influence from political, religious, or economic agendas. This is made possible by our independent funding — over 95 per cent of which comes from private donors, allowing us to assess needs freely, access communities and directly deliver the assistance we provide.
