1 March 2022- In a household in Bani Qais, 121 kilometres west of Hajjah City, a family watched with concern as their baby daughter, Jihad, was losing weight day by day. After one week of suffering at home, Jihad’s body started to swell. Her parents suffer from extreme financial difficulties and were worried they did not have the means to get their daughter the medical care she urgently needed.

Still, they walked two kilometers to reach the nearest health center. When they arrived, after the first assessment, the health worker advised that Jihad had to be transferred to Al-Jumhori Public Hospital therapeutic feeding centre in Hajjah urgently to save her life. However, her father had no money to pay the transportation cost.

Fortunately, the health center director was about to travel to Hajjah by car and offered them a ride. Jihad’s father was grateful but still concerned: “We are happy to finally be able to bring our child to the hospital, but I am worried about the expenses of the treatment which I am unable to afford.” He soon learned that his child would be provided with the full treatment without payment.

Jihad was in critical condition when she first came into the therapeutic feeding centre, but slowly and surely her health started to improve. After 14 days of treatment and monitoring, Jihad was ready to leave the hospital with a big smile on her face and that of her parents. “I am very thankful that my daughter has a new chance at life and a new beginning,” Jihad’s mother said.

Baby Jihad after starting treatment (left) and two weeks later when she recovered and was ready to return home (right)

Note: WHO through the Emergency Health and Nutrition Project (EHNP) and its successor the Emergency Human Capital Project (EHCP), both funded by the World Bank, supports 109 therapeutic feeding centres across Yemen, including the one at Al-Jumhori Public Hospital in Hajjah.