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Yemen’s protesters turn mosques into makeshift hospitals amid escalating clashes

14 April 2011 21:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Protesters demanding immediate ouster of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have recently turned mosques surrounding their sit-in squares into makeshift hospitals to meet any emergency situation, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In the capital Sanaa, the protesters in a square they re-named as "Changing Square" outside Sanaa University turned a big mosque surrounding their sit-in area into a makeshift hospital.

The protesters said the mosque can accommodate up to 600 beds if its yard is used.

Although the makeshift hospitals are poorly equipped, the protesters consider them very useful as they can facilitate rapid treatments to those who are slightly injured or suffer asphyxia due to tear-gas in clashes between protesters and government backers. Those seriously injured were usually rushed to well- equipped hospitals in the cities.

Many doctors come everyday to volunteer themselves for working in the makeshift hospitals, which provide services 24 hours each day.

Yemen has witnessed weeks-long protests demanding an immediate end to the 33-year rule of President Saleh. Sporadic clashes almost occurred daily between rivals across the country since mid February.

The political crisis recently resulted in deterioration of security and stability after the government pulled the police out from some towns of major provinces.