Yemen Civil War Forces Family to Flee Home

Twin babies Raghad Hassan and her brother Raad have been fighting for their lives since birth seven weeks ago.

Their premature arrival coincided with a surge in violence in Yemen's ongoing civil war between Houthi rebels and government forces, forcing the family to flee their village in south-west Yemen.

The family of seven was forced out of their home in the Kahboub mountains as Houthi fighters arrived, bringing bombs, missiles, and drone attacks. The twins were left vulnerable, wrapped only in blankets for protection.

As they fled on foot, the family's journey became increasingly desperate - three days of walking through conflict zones to reach the relative safety of Aden, a port city in western Yemen.

Their father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, describes their ordeal as "very difficult". Without transportation, they were forced to rely on the kindness of strangers, with one person offering them a ride after others refused.

Bajash's face is etched with worry as he struggles to care for his newborn twins in the midst of Yemen's raging conflict. The price of baby milk has skyrocketed due to the war, forcing him to ration it and often resorting to giving them only water when supplies run low.

The twins' condition took a turn for the worse when they were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, a condition that can be just as deadly as a bullet wound. Malnutrition in Yemen is a ticking time bomb, another casualty of the devastating civil war that has ravaged the country for years.

The conflict has taken a dire toll on civilians, with around 800,000 people no longer receiving lifesaving aid and over 250,000 displaced since an informal ceasefire collapsed in the summer. The Houthis have made significant gains along the Red Sea coast, cutting off vital supplies to Yemen's third largest city, Taiz.

The United Nations has warned that civilians in Taiz are at grave risk of starvation due to soaring food prices and lack of access to aid. As the conflict rages on, fathers like Bajash continue to fight for their children's survival, but the situation grows increasingly dire by the day.

The hospital corridors are filled with anxious parents searching for beds for their critically ill children. Amidst this chaos, Bajash found an ally in nurse Aisha Ragab, who has experienced similar hardships herself after fleeing the war in 2018.

Aisha's empathy is evident as she expresses her understanding of the families' struggles. Despite her own traumatic past, she remains resolute and determined to help those in need. Her conviction is a beacon of hope for parents like Bajash, who are fighting for their children's survival.

In a desperate bid to save the twins, Aisha convinces hospital staff to settle for a single bed, arguing that even sharing would be better than having none at all. Within an hour, the twins are lying on the makeshift bed, their fragile bodies taking up minimal space.

Lina is trying to feed her twins, but Raad is struggling to keep down the fortified milk. His eyes are wide with hunger and his cheeks are sunken, a stark reminder of the dire situation they face. Despite the odds, Lina remains hopeful that God will intervene and help her children recover.

The hospital's pediatric unit is woefully understaffed due to international funding shortages. Only 13 patients can be admitted at any given time, leaving many critically ill children without access to medical care. Dr Noor Mohammed, a harried young doctor, is visibly frustrated by the constraints he faces in providing adequate treatment for his patients.

The scarcity of medical equipment and resources in hospitals like al-Sadaqah is taking a devastating toll on patients. The lack of basic necessities such as ventilation machines, oxygen bottles, and laboratory facilities makes it extremely challenging for doctors to provide adequate care.

A recent surge in fighting has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, leaving civilians vulnerable to harm. Even before the latest escalation, the United Nations had predicted that half a million Yemeni children would suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.

The malnutrition unit at al-Sadaqah hospital is overwhelmed with cases of severely ill babies, many of whom are readmitted shortly after discharge due to their families' inability to provide proper nutrition and care. This cycle of admission and re-admission has become all too common for the medical staff.

Parents like Bajash, who lost his flock when he fled conflict-affected areas, are struggling to make ends meet, leaving them with no choice but to rely on overburdened public hospitals. Many families in similar situations are forced to seek medical attention at facilities that are ill-equipped to handle their needs.

The emotional toll of working under such conditions is evident in the faces of hospital staff, who often find themselves drained by the constant stream of suffering and loss they witness every day.

As families wait anxiously for news of their loved ones in hospitals overwhelmed by the conflict, many are forced to care for multiple children on their own. This is the case for one father who has been spending his days tending to his newborn twins while also looking after three other young children, all under the age of five.

The emotional toll of caring for these families is compounded by the harsh conditions they face outside of hospitals as well. With no access to basic amenities like toys or bedding, families are often left with nowhere else to go but onto the streets, where they must spend their nights exposed to the elements.