IOM Yemen: IOM Expands Essential Healthcare Services in Northern Yemen’s Hard-to-Reach Areas

Sa’dah, Yemen 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has significantly expanded the emergency department and surgical unit at the key Munabbih Hospital in Sa’dah city, in northwest Yemen. This initiative addresses critical gaps in healthcare services and boosts the hospital’s ability to deliver life-saving care, improving health outcomes for migrants and host communities in one of the country’s most underserved regions.

“IOM’s support for Munabbih Hospital is vital for ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the essential healthcare they urgently need,” said Matt Huber, IOM Yemen’s Acting Chief of Mission. “By upgrading the medical infrastructure and increasing the hospital’s capacity, we aim to save lives and ease the significant burden on this critical facility.”

Munabbih District, situated near the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a remote area that serves as the final exit point for migrants en route to KSA. It is also a frontline where many report experiencing casualties from armed clashes and direct shootings. The hospital serves a crucial role in delivering essential healthcare to a diverse population, including migrants, displaced persons, and local communities across four districts.

Despite its crucial role, Munabbih Hospital previously lacked essential emergency healthcare facilities such as operating rooms, nurseries, and intensive care units. The facility also faced severe shortages of qualified healthcare professionals, particularly in the emergency department. This strain grew as the hospital managed an increasing caseload of patients, including migrants injured during border crossings and outbreaks of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Since 2021, IOM’s intervention has provided Munabbih Hospital with essential medical supplies for its emergency department, pediatric care, and surgical unit. This support allows the hospital to perform life-saving surgeries, including general, orthopedic, and Caesarean procedures, as well as to offer critical neonatal care. These improvements are anticipated to save countless lives.

Furthermore, the recent surge in suspected cholera cases has stretched the hospital’s ability to provide timely and effective care. Health experts anticipate that the number of suspected cases throughout Yemen could reach 255,000 by September 2024 if the preparedness and response activities are not significantly enhanced. In response, IOM has strengthened the hospital’s Diarrhea Treatment Center (DTC) to better handle cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) and suspected cholera, ensuring that patients receive the necessary treatment.

IOM’s comprehensive support extends to incentivizing emergency and DTC healthcare staff; supplying medications, medical equipment, and infection prevention and control supplies; providing medical furniture; enhancing water, sanitation, and hygiene resources; supplying fuel for generators, oxygen tanks, and nutritional support for admitted patients; facilitating ambulance rentals for patient referrals; conducting minor maintenance and rehabilitation; offering capacity building for staff; and providing protection assistance.

IOM remains dedicated to strengthening healthcare infrastructure and capacity in public facilities, with a focus on supporting vulnerable populations in Sa’dah and other governorates across Yemen. Since the onset of IOM's support to Munabbih Hospital, nearly 4,000 individuals have sought emergency services, and approximately 600 have received treatment for AWD each month.

Munabbih Hospital has benefitted from support provided by EU Humanitarian Aid, the Yemen Humanitarian Fund, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and the German Federal Foreign Office.

For more information, please contact:

Monica Chiriac, Media and Communications Officer, mchiriac@iom.int

IOM Yemen’s Communications Team, iomyemenmediacomm@iom.int