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Aiding Yemen’s children: Stalked by hunger, disease, and displacement

Children under age five are among the most vulnerable of all Yemenis to the ravages of disease, food insecurity, unsafe water, and other ever-present threats to their survival.

Summer Mansour Hussein is the mother of five children. Her youngest, Malka, is extremely fortunate to have reached her first birthday after nearly succumbing to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) that stalks the infants and young children of Yemen’s IDP camps in league with outbreaks of deadly and debilitating communicable diseases.

Summer with Malka at WHO and UNCERF supported TFC in Marib

Five years ago, Summer and her immediate family were forcibly displaced from their village by fighting. Seeking refuge at Al Hadab Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Marib, they joined a fast-rising flood of Yemenis in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Today, some 2.1 million Yemenis require this assistance. Some 5 million are children under five, of whom more than 2.2 million are expected to be acutely malnourished in 2022, with around 538,000 having severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Approximately 63,000 of these children also have serious medical conditions.

In late August, Summer brought Malka to a WHO-supported therapeutic feeding center (TFC) at Kara General Hospital in Marib that is funded by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCERF). Here, life-saving nutrition interventions by TFC staff working around-the-clock brought down Malka’s soaring fever, administered free of charge lifesaving medication and therapeutic milk, and ultimately rescued Malka from near-certain death.

“Thankfully, Malka is receiving the treatment she needs. Her appetite is still poor, but I am very glad she is feeling better and will continue her treatment until full recovery,” said Summer. “I have already lost one child to illness, and I was very scared of losing Malak next.”

WHO and UNCERF are working together in six districts in Marib governorate in response to the sudden discontinuation of basic health services, and a rapidly deteriorating security situation and economic crisis. The aim is to enhance and sustain the availability of critical highly specialized 24/7 lifesaving medical care and nutrition services at six therapeutic feeding centers (TFCs) in Kara, Aljuba, Marib city, Harib Baihan, Alhosoon and Aljafra.

In the six-month period from 20 February to 20 August 2022, WHO and UNCERF supported 932 malnourished children who were admitted to therapeutic feeding centers (TFCs) in 6 targeted health facilities. More than three of four of these children – 745 in total – were internally displaced. To support the operational capacity of the six targeted TFCs, 93 medical workers were supported with incentives. And to facilitate access to treatment and alleviate financial burdens for the families bringing their children into the TFCs, 395 children receiving treatment were provided with transportation costs, admission kits and balanced meals.

In addition, WHO and UNCERF have maintained surgical services that during the three months of June, July and August 2022 alone accounted for 1,164 surgeries and 4,188 consultations. UNCERF has also funded incentives for 16 surgical staff, coupled with delivery of six ambulances that have effectively enabled a sustained range of critical medical services for over 858,000 people mostly living in desperate conditions and around Marib. The vast majority of these people -- approximately 760,000 – are internally displaced.

To ensure targeted facilities are continuously functioning with services available for patients, fuel supply has been provided to them through this project as well. Between March and August 2022, a total of 78,951 liters of fuel were delivered to four hospitals in Marib governorate to keep them operational.

WHO together with UNCERF are also continuing to provide life-sustaining case management for some 3,000 infants and children to age five who are treated for SAM with medical complications at six therapeutic feeding centers in priority areas across Yemen. Parents and other caregivers of the children are also linked to food distribution and cash support projects supported by UNCERF.

Loay Mohammed Sulaiman, the director of Kara General Hospital since 2008, is deeply familiar and engaged with all of these complex and daily challenges.

“Conflict has devastated the country’s infrastructure, especially in high-risk areas like Marib," Dr. Sulaiman said.“The urgency and severity of health needs of internally displaced populations have pushed the operational capacities of our health facilities to their absolute limit…any periodic gaps in support affect the services we provide to a large extent.”
“We have a growing need for medical equipment to support the diagnosis of diseases. Much of the equipment we have now is deteriorated and outdated,” she continued. “This is why the support from WHO and local health authorities has been of great benefit to the hospital and patients. WHO is the hospital’s main lifeline and has helped us save many lives” Dr Mohammed said, then added that her hospital remains in greet need of continued support.

Story: Kevin Cook, Hanan Eshaq/ WHO

Photos: Kevin Cook/ WHO