Yemen’s collapsing healthcare forces the sick to seek alternative medicines

Published 8 August 2026 · health

Patients in Yemen who cannot afford healthcare or cannot find the medical treatments they need are increasingly turning to herbal medicine stores and honey shops

Patients in Yemen who cannot afford healthcare or cannot find the medical treatments they need are increasingly turning to herbal medicine stores and honey shops. Taiz, Yemen – Jaleelah Abdul Hameed, a woman in her 50s, grew up in a village 85km (53 miles) from Taiz city. She remembers how her ancestors relied on herbal medicine to treat various illnesses, but also her mother dying when Jaleelah was just a child due to a lack of proper healthcare. “Herbal medicine was the treatment of our ancestors because there was no modern healthcare at the time. It was the only medicine available to everyone, whether rich or poor,” Jaleelah told Al Jazeera. Recently, Jaleelah began to suffer from chest pains, but doctors failed to diagnose her illness accurately, initially telling her she had a colon ailment. She took medication for this diagnosis until she was rushed to hospital in critical condition a year ago, only to be told that it wasn’t a colon disorder but liver cancer. “The doctors who failed to diagnose my illness couldn’t prescribe effective treatment for my liver cancer,” she told Al Jazeera. “I took the prescribed medicine for four months, but there was no improvement.” As complex cancer cases are difficult to manage in Yemen, she was advised to travel abroad for treatment. Unable to afford international travel and encouraged by local health stores, she began to take herbal remedies to treat the cancer instead. The owner of the herbal medicine centre prescribed Jaleelah a mixture of ground leaves and a jar of honey, although the exact ingredients were unclear. “The success stories I heard convinced me to give herbal medicine a chance, which I did for six months. But the real story was the severe deterioration of my health,” she said. Two months ago, Jaleelah was hospitalised once again. Upon arrival, her physician was alarmed that she had abandoned her prescribed medications and chemotherapy in favour of herbal remedies.

“It was my mistake from the very beginning. I knew deep down that herbal remedies couldn’t cure a disease like mine, but I made the wrong choice,” Jaleelah admitted. “Today, I am back on my prescribed treatment and chemotherapy, but in much worse shape.” Medicine or business? More than 20 million Yemenis are without access to basic medical care due to years of conflict, severe funding shortages, and the collapse of Yemen’s healthcare system, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). At least 50% of health facilities are entirely non-functional, critically hindering the country’s ability to respond to recurring outbreaks of diseases like cholera and diphtheria. Yemenis who do not have the means to seek treatment abroad are being forced to turn to traditional remedies. Raqeeb Sultan, 48, had been suffering from severe stomach pain, particularly after eating fatty foods. Multiple doctors diagnosed him with Helicobacter pylori. He took the prescribed medication for eight months, but the pain persisted. Acting on a friend’s recommendation, Sultan began to experiment with herbal medicine. “I went to a honey shop that offers herbal remedies. The specialist gave me plant leaves mixed with honey and advised me to avoid fatty foods,” he told Al Jazeera. Sultan took the herbal treatment for two months and reported feeling much better. His most recent test also showed no sign of H pylori. “It was my first time using herbal medicine, but it worked for me,” he said. “If I experience pain again in the future, I will definitely try it again.” Herbal practitioners often claim they can treat almost any illness, but medical experts strongly dispute these claims. Many patients who rely on herbal remedies end up back in hospital, often in a worse condition, due to delays in seeking proper medical advice or not following doctors’ orders. Dr Adel, an internal medicine specialist who requested to use only his first name to avoid confrontation with herbal practitioners, commented on the apparent disappearance of H pylori in Sultan’s latest medical tests.