Yemen

A week in Yemen

As the conflict in Yemen enters its fourth year, MSF has put together a series of seven short videos that illustrate the devastating situation – through the eyes of our staff and patients.

Monday: Mother and child care

"Last month we had at least 10 cases of children arriving dead on arrival, 4 out of the 10 were clearly as a result of travelling for several days," says Rachel Fletcher, coordinator of MSF’s Mother and Child Hospital.

Pregnant women in Yemen are among the most vulnerable, traveling long and risky journeys while in labour to reach functional health facilities.

Tuesday: Disease outbreaks

The de facto collapse of the health system in Yemen has lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria and measles.

Wednesday: War-wounded and trauma patients

Between March 2015 and October 2018, MSF treated more than 91,000 war wounded due to the violence in the country. This number includes not only soldiers and combatants, but also civilians caught at the frontline or in hospitals, markets and their own homes.

Thursday: Yemeni staff at risk

"I work with colleagues who have been shot in their homes, shot at the frontlines," says Caroline Bwango, MSF’s emergency doctor in Taiz Houban.

Friday: MSF in Yemen

One of the factors enabling MSF to keep running its activities in Yemen is the acceptance of the organisation within the community.

Saturday: Medical needs are too high

Ad Dhale governmental hospital was the only hospital providing free medical care to Yemeni's in the area. The needs are great, but after several security incidents, MSF took the difficult decision to end its support to this health facility. The lack of operational hospitals and medical staff is putting thousands of people at further risk of death and illness

 

Sunday: “It’s too far”

It's not just hard, but also too far for many Yemenis to access free healthcare. Most Yemenis travel long hours to access healthcare as there are limited facilities within the communities.

MSF works in 12 hospitals and health centres across the country and provides support to more than 20 hospitals or health facilities across 11 governorates: Abyan, Aden, Amran, Hajjah, Hodeidah, Ibb, Lahj, Saada, Sana’a, Shabwah and Taiz.

Find out more about MSF's work in Yemen