Malnutrition
The malnutrition crisis in Yemen has many underlying causes. After nearly a decade of conflict and a drastic deterioration in the economy, many people have lost their livelihoods. High inflation rates have reduced purchasing power so people can no longer afford to buy enough nutritious food. Diminishing food aid, including the suspension of World Food Program distributions in northern Yemen in 2023, have also contributed to increasing food insecurity for millions of Yemenis.
In 2023, our teams responded to a surge in malnutrition cases among children in several governorates. In Taiz, we started supporting the outpatient therapeutic feeding center in Mafraq al Mocha in Mawza district in March. In Amran, we supported Huth hospital to increase capacity to respond to malnutrition during the peak season between June and December. In Hodeidah, we set up three outpatient therapeutic feeding centers in Ad-Dahi, Bayt Atta, and Al-Kadan. In Hajjah, we extended the capacity of the inpatient therapeutic feeding center at Abs General Hospital from 45 to 88 beds during the peak season. In Sa’ada, we doubled the number of beds and increased staffing and supplies.
Vaccine-preventable diseases
There has been a marked increase in preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and measles in recent years due to low vaccination coverage, poor living conditions, and the collapse of the health care system. In 2023, our teams responded to a rise in measles cases across several governorates. In Al-Baydah, we offered treatment and conducted training sessions for health care providers on managing the disease in eight locations. In Taiz, we opened a 16-bed measles isolation unit inside our mother and child hospital in Taiz Houban to respond to an unprecedented surge in cases. We also treated measles patients in MSF-supported facilities across seven other governorates.
Since 2021, diphtheria cases have been rising significantly, with a sharp uptick in 2023. In response, MSF began supporting Al-Wahdah Hospital in Dhamar governorate in October with management of its patient isolation unit, treatment, intensive care, laboratory testing, donations of medical supplies, food and hygiene materials, and staff training.
In addition, our teams responded to a cholera outbreak in Aden and Shabwa governorates by running two treatment units from October 2023 until the end of January 2024, and conducting health promotion and water and sanitation activities to prevent the spread of the disease. During the same period, we ran two acute watery diarrhea treatment centers in Ad-Dahi and Al-Zaydiyah districts, in Hodeidah governorate.
Maternal and child health care
In 2023, we scaled up our maternal and child health care activities in most governorates in Yemen in response to the ever-increasing demand. In Taiz, our teams assisted women during deliveries and obstetric surgery, and provided inpatient neonatal and pediatric care in both Taiz Houban and Taiz city. In May, we started collaborating with the Ministry of Health to support Mocha General Hospital’s inpatient pediatric department.
At our hospital in Mocha, we assist women who have complicated deliveries. In Hodeidah, we ran specialist maternal and neonatal services at Al-Qanawis Mother and Child Hospital. We also opened a pediatric ward there in May, offering inpatient care for children under 15 years old. In Hajjah governorate, our team continued to support several departments at Abs General Hospital, including the maternity, neonatal, and pediatric wards.
Since September 2022, we have been partnering with Ataq’s mother and child hospital in Shabwa to provide pediatric health care.
During the year, the hospitals we support in Khamer, Amran, and Haydan, Sa’ada, also received a higher number of referrals for obstetric emergencies from local health units compared to the previous year. In Marib, we continue to provide general health care services for displaced people, host communities, migrants, and others living in vulnerable circumstances. We provide services for reproductive health care, malnutrition, chronic diseases, and mental health care.
Trauma and surgical care
Due to a decrease in fighting in 2023 and a subsequent reduction in trauma cases, we closed a number of our trauma projects, including our trauma hospital in Mocha, which had been providing lifesaving surgical care since 2018. We also handed over part of our surgical activities at Abs General Hospital to the Ministry of Health, while we continued to perform obstetric surgeries.
Similarly, we closed our trauma center in Taiz Houban and started referring patients to Al-Wehda governmental hospital. The MSF trauma center in Aden also received a much lower number of war-wounded patients compared to previous years. Over the years, our staff in the center had treated patients arriving from various front lines through a referral system from Lahj, Abyan, and Shabwa, where we supported health facilities until the end of 2023. The MSF trauma center continues to offer orthopedic services such as internal fixation for bone fractures and reconstructive surgery.
Mental health
Mental health support is a core part of our activities in Hajjah and Hodeidah governorates. At Abs hospital and our mental health clinic in Hajjah city, we provide psychiatric care, counseling, and psychotherapy. In Hajjah city, we run a daycare center offering psychological care and a rehabilitation program for patients with chronic mental health conditions.
