Hajjah, 1 March 2022 – Seven years of conflict in Yemen have taken a heavy toll on the population with serious humanitarian consequences. About 2.3 million children under-five-years-old in Yemen were estimated in 2021 to have acute malnutrition with 400,000 severe cases including 40,000 with medical complications. These children are fighting every day for their lives and need immediate, specialized lifesaving care to survive.

A child with severe acute malnutrition is 9 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child. That’s why WHO’s work to sustain lifesaving care at more than 109 therapeutic feeding centers across Yemen, is so important.

Hajjah is one of the governorates with the highest prevalence of acute malnutrition. WHO through the Emergency Health and Nutrition Project (EHNP) and its successor the Emergency Human Capital Project (EHCP), both funded by the World Bank, are making critical nutrition services available to the most vulnerable communities. Eight therapeutic feeding centres are supported in Hajjah, with needed rehabilitations, furnishing, equipment, supplies and therapeutic milk.

A caregiver next to her malnourished baby at the therapeutic feeding centre in AL-Humjori Hospital, Hajjah City.

These investments mean that care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to make sure children get the treatment needed to save their lives. Of the children admitted to these facilities, more than 90% survive. In 2021, 2507 children were cured of severe malnutrition.

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.

Rataban-Mabin district, 2 March 2022 – When Bushra was eight months old, her body grew more frail by the day and she developed diarrhea and a fever for more than a week. Her mother said: “I refused to transfer her to the city, not because I don’t love my child, but because we don’t have the cost of treatment and medicine. We were watching her dying for three painful days, after we learned from our village doctor that there is a health facility which offered free treatment. We rushed to the hospital hoping it wasn’t too late for my daughter.”

Bushra arrived at the therapeutic feeding center in a critical condition. The medical team immediately took her to the emergency management unit to stabilize her in line with the WHO protocol.

Dr Adel al-Abdeli, a paediatric specialist, was responsible for Bushra’s emergency care and assessment on his daily rounds. After four days of close monitoring and treatment, Bushra’s condition improved significantly. After recovery, she was referred to the outpatient clinic to continue her nutritional treatment and monitor her weight towards making a full recovery.

Bushra when she arrived at the Al-Jumhori Public Hospital therapeutic feeding center in Hajjah being assessed by Dr Adel al-Abdeli, a paediatric specialist

Bushra’s mother was overjoyed by her daughter’s progress, and at the same time was able to benefit from educational sessions on personal hygiene and appropriate feeding practices for infants and young children.

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.