NRC: Lack of getting medical help abroad kills more in Yemen

The Norwegian Refugee Council says the closure of Sanaa airport has caused more deaths in Yemen than airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition because many have died from not being able to travel for specialized medical care.

The Oslo, Norway-based NRC says some 10,000 Yemenis have died from failing to get medical treatment abroad.

NRC director in Yemen Mutasim Hamdan said Wednesday "beyond airstrikes and cholera, the war in Yemen is devastating Yemeni lives on all fronts."

Since 2015, the conflict in Yemen has left over 10,000 civilians dead and displaced three million others. The NRC said close to half a million affected by cases of suspected cholera since April this year, as Yemen's already fragile health system struggles to meet basic health needs.

© 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.