Yemen's Collapsing Healthcare Forces Women to Rely on Herbal Remedies

Yemen's healthcare system is crumbling, leaving the sick with few options other than turning to herbal medicine shops and honey vendors. In Taiz, women like Jaleelah Abdul Hameed are forced into this desperate corner. She grew up in a village 85km from the city. Her ancestors relied on plants because modern care did not exist then. It was the only choice for rich or poor alike.

Jaleelah recalls her mother dying when she was just a child due to a lack of proper healthcare. Recently, Jaleelah began suffering chest pains. Doctors failed to diagnose her illness accurately at first. They told her she had a colon ailment. She took medication for that diagnosis until she was rushed to hospital in critical condition a year ago. Then doctors said 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," Jaleelah told Al Jazeera. "I took the prescribed medicine for four months, but there was no improvement." 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 taking herbal remedies instead. The owner of the centre prescribed her a mixture of ground leaves and a jar of honey. 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. Her physician was alarmed that she had abandoned prescribed medications and chemotherapy for 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."

More than 20 million Yemenis lack access to basic medical care due to years of conflict, severe funding shortages, and the collapse of the healthcare system, according to the World Health Organization. At least 50% of health facilities are entirely non-functional. This critically hinders the country's ability to respond to recurring outbreaks of diseases like cholera and diphtheria. Yemenis who cannot 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 experimenting 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. Medical experts strongly dispute these claims. The reality is stark: when hospitals fail, people gamble with their lives on unproven cures sold by anyone with a jar of honey.

Patients relying on herbal remedies frequently find themselves back in hospitals, often in a much worse state than when they arrived. The cause is usually simple delays in seeking proper medical advice or a failure to follow doctors' orders. Dr Adel, an internal medicine specialist who insisted on using only his first name to avoid conflict with herbal practitioners, addressed the disappearance of H pylori in Sultan's latest tests.

"The symptoms of H pylori often come and go, and test results can fluctuate," he said. "Only qualified doctors can prescribe the proper treatment to fully eradicate the infection." He argued that herbal practitioners lack formal medical training and rely instead on hearsay and unproven methods tested directly on patients. Temporary relief or the apparent disappearance of symptoms are often exploited by these operators to market their services, even if the cure is short-lived.

"We are in the 21st century, and it is tragic to see people bypassing hospitals for herbal practitioners," he added. "Even though Yemen's healthcare system faces severe challenges, standard medical care remains far safer and more effective than turning to herbal remedies."

Herbal medicine stores are ubiquitous throughout the country. For many honey shops, these remedies have become a lucrative line of business. Most practitioners claim to hold cures for all ailments, ranging from minor headaches to cancer and chronic diseases. Some even promote their products on social media using well-known influencers. The majority who sell honey and medical herbs base their practice on Islam, citing honey in the Holy Quran as a cure for various diseases. They also rely on Hadiths of Prophet Mohammad that mention specific types of plants.

Ali, a herbal medicine practitioner in Taiz who asked not to use his real name, stated he studied the craft alongside experts in Hodeidah governorate before moving his practice to Taiz seven years ago. "Herbal medicine is a science," he told Al Jazeera. "We don't just inherit it; we learn it from veteran practitioners who have deep experience in the field." He noted that herbal medicine has become much more popular recently because patients are seeing real benefits. That is the best evidence of its positive impact.

Ali admits that herbal medicine remains controversial, but he also accused some medical doctors of attempting to tarnish its reputation. "No one can change the facts," he added. "I feel happy when I see patients recover from illnesses because of my remedies." Unfortunately, he said, some doctors are unhappy when that happens. He believes alternative medicine practitioners and doctors should work hand in hand. He says he always waits on hospital diagnoses before prescribing treatments to his customers.

"I always ask my patients to go to the hospital first to find out what they are suffering from before I prescribe any medicine," Ali said. He admitted that he lacks an official permit and operates without oversight from any regulatory body but claimed such licences are unnecessary as he only sells natural herbs. One source at Taiz governorate health office told Al Jazeera that complaints against herbal medicine stores are referred to legal institutions, such as public prosecutors, rather than his department, as these stores do not provide formal healthcare and so fall outside his department's jurisdiction.

"Some herbal shops offer other services, like Quranic recitations or even sorcery, and several have been shut down by prosecutors," the official noted, wishing to speak anonymously. Jaleelah, who is still suffering from cancer, insisted that oversight is urgently needed. She said that although these shops do not offer formal medical treatment, they still deal directly with patients' health.

"The health office should supervise these herbal centres and honey shops because they are treating sick people.

If these operators are lying to their patients, the powers that be have a duty to pull the plug on them immediately," she stated. "We should not face double victimization here." The first blow comes from a system where people cannot reach legitimate medical care. The second strike hits when they turn to herbal medicine centers and get cheated instead.