Yemen's war robs many children of lifesaving heart surgery, doctors say

Zamzam Muhammad Hizam, 16, who suffers from a congenital heart defect, lies on a bed at the cardiac center of Al-Thawra General Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen March 13, 2022. Picture taken March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

While waiting for a sponsor to pay for congenital heart defect surgery, gangrene caused by the untreated ailment ate away at 16-year-old Zamzam Hizam's foot.

She is among millions of Yemenis struggling to obtain lifesaving medical treatment due to a seven-year-old war that has destroyed Yemen's health system, hindered the entry of foreign surgeons, restricted travel abroad by locals and spread poverty.