Caption: Nearly 4.1 million children in Yemen are projected to need humanitarian assistance in 2023, according to the Humanitarian Needs Overview analysis for this year.
Effective emergency care systems are saving many lives of most-vulnerable Yemenis
Al Husayniah - Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen
16-month-old Hassan was malnourished for many weeks due to food scarcity and deeply impoverished living conditions that left his parents unable to afford medical care, let alone put any food on the family table in a given day.
When Hassan’s condition worsened and his life was in jeopardy, his family arrived to the nearest therapeutic feeding centre (TFC) at Bait Al Faqih, about 20 km distance from their village. This TFC is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Yemen, and equipped to provide free, specialized health and nutrition care.
“Hassan was in critical condition when he arrived here,” said Dr Jamal Al Maqtary, supervising physician at the Bayt Al Faqih Medical Centre. “He suffered from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications, including severe respiratory infection. Thanks to support from WHO, Hassan’s treatment was still possible, with the family’s transportation costs to and from this TFC also covered.”
Hassan’s parents thought they would lose him to severe hunger. But within 10 days of arriving to the TFC, he was remarkably healthier. Since then, Hassan has made a full nutritional recovery and returned home, thanks to an outpatient therapeutic feeding programme where he has received regular follow up, to the deep relief and joy of his parents.
Said Khaled Al Bakri, Director of the Bait Al Faqih TFC:
“The gift of our work is when a patient starts recovering, especially those who were in potentially fatal conditions. Thanks to the efforts of WHO and the Ministry of Health, vital health services have been made available to the most vulnerable people, and I hope that this critical support continues.”
Three-year-old Balquis was brought to another WHO-supported TFC in Kamaran Hospital In Hudaydah governorate by her terrified parents. Severely wasted, her feet swollen, and suffering from medical complications including watery diarrhea, fever and a cough, Balquis was treated and made a full recovery, with all services provided at no charge.
Three-year-old Balquis was brought to another WHO-supported TFC in Kamaran Hospital In Hudaydah governorate by her terrified parents. Severely wasted, her feet swollen, and suffering from medical complications including watery diarrhea, fever and a cough, Balquis was treated and made a full recovery, with all services provided at no charge.
“We are grateful and relieved. Our daughter has gained some weight back and her appetite is back to normal. Thank you to everyone working at this feeding centre for helping our child, and many other children, suffering from severe acute malnutrition,” said Balquis’s mother.
In response to high levels of food insecurity and deteriorating health services throughout the country, WHO and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Yemen have been working in coordination with health authorities to reach and assist most-vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs) across underserved IDP sites in Hudaydah, Marib, Taiz, Shabwah, Hadramout and Al Jawf governorates.
In partnership with UNOCHA, WHO has supported 11 TFCs in conflict-affected areas where malnourished children under five years of age have been supported with nutrition and pediatric services. This programme of care includes provisions of essential medical and non-medical supplies, supporting health workers with incentive payments, and capacity building. During the lifetime of the project, a total of 10,141 children have been supported with nutrition and pediatric services, of which 33% are children from conflict-displaced and vulnerable families, with all families supported with transportation costs. In addition, 100 health care workers have received incentive payments, and 248 have received capacity building support.
To ensure timely care for the acutely ill and injured, this project has further supported emergency and trauma care in 87 health facilities across 68 conflict-affected areas through deployments of emergency mobile medical and surgical teams. Targeted health facilities have also been supported with provisions of water and fuel supplies.
It is estimated that more than half of deaths in low- and middle-income countries result from conditions that could be treated with prehospital and emergency care – spanning injuries, infections, acute exacerbations of cancer, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases, and pregnancy complications.
Amal is a housewife. Pregnant and in labor, she feared for her life because she had no support and was unable to afford emergency services or even transportation to the hospital. Delivering a child can be harrowing even in situations far better than those faced by Yemeni mothers like Amal, who are trapped in extreme poverty and a protracted humanitarian crisis.
Amal would have been forced to deliver alone at home, without emergency medical care if not for the mobile medical teams deployed by WHO. A midwife from one of these teams supported Amal and assisted a safe delivery.
Caption: A Yemeni mother is assisted by a WHO-supported mobile medical team worker.
“I was relieved to have the team assist me", said Amal. "I didn’t have anyone or any way to go to a hospital, but they arrived just in time. They saved my life. I truly hope this support continues because it is saves lives.”
