'A catastrophe will hit whole country': Yemeni blood bank to close over lack of money

The National Blood Transfusion Centre (NBTC) said it may have to close its doors after Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), an international humanitarian NGO, transferred its support for the centre over to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"MSF was obliged to switch its support to other health priorities," Rosie Slater, a spokesperson for the MSF told The New Arab.

"The last donation MSF gave to the blood bank was in June – that would have supported the running of its activities for two months, giving time for WHO to start its support."

Despite this agreement however, the WHO's supplies have still not yet reached the centre.

"The centre suffers from a complete shortage of supplies, including medical solutions, blood bags and medical needs," said Adnan al-Hakimi, director of the NBTC.

WHO confirmed that the centre is at risk of closure, adding that important supplies for the centre were on their way.

"WHO is looking into ways to support the National Blood Transfusion Centre," said Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson.

Healthcare in Yemen has been seriously affected by a two-year civil war which has left the country's infrastructure decimated.

Saudi-coalition airstrikes have hit water supplies and hospitals hard, leading to a cholera epidemic – an easily treatable disease – and the deaths of more than 10,000 people.

"If the centre stops, a catastrophe will hit the whole country," Munir al-Zubaidi, a spokesperson for the NBTC told Reuters. 

Centres like the NBTC provide an important lifeline for the country's blood transfusion services and the World Health Organisation warned in 2015 that thousands of people could be affected by its closure.