Since the end of 2018, MOAS has been working hard to provide aid to Yemeni communities living amidst the unrest of a country torn apart by civil war. In 2019, we delivered more than 50 tonnes of nutritional aid and €120,000 worth of medical supplies to the port of Aden. All of our aid deliveries are coordinated and distributed by our in-country partners, ADRA and this week we are delighted to announce another successful delivery of 26 tons of preventative nutrient supplements.
The supplements were, again, provided by the US-based nutrition company Edesia who provided 1620 cartons of their specially formulated supplement, Plumpy Sup, for children suffering, or at risk of suffering, from acute malnutrition. The delivery of these nutritional supplements is essential given the mass food insecurity in the country – with over 20 million people currently lacking access to sufficient food.
Nutrition Activities
Take a look at this short video to learn more about how ADRA is working to combat malnutrition in Yemen.
Stories from the clinics
Aisha and Akila
Aisha and Akila are 20-month-old twins who live with their parents in a small tent in a hard to reach area in the Al Jawf governorate of Yemen where most of the population is living in food insecurity, unable to reach basic health and nutrition services.
Living conditions here are extremely poor and the twins’ lack of access to adequate nutrition soon resulted in a rapid deterioration of their health as they became listless and lethargic. In their desperation to find a cure for their children, the parents decided to journey under the hot desert sun and, after walking for over a day, they were informed about the presence of ADRA’s health center for the treatment of malnutrition Al Hazm.
The couple were delighted with the news and after waiting in line with similarly desperate families for two hours the twins were seen by a doctor who diagnosed the girls with acute severe malnutrition and gave them the appropriate Plumpy Sup nutritional supplements and medication.
After just over a month of treatment the girls were in a stable condition – and the parents were amazed at the rapid change in their health and happiness – they were no longer malnourished and were full of laughter like most healthy infants their age. The nutritional aid was a symbol of hope to this Yemeni family despite the ongoing hardships they continue to face living amidst the conflict.
Ahmad, the twins’ father, said:
“I thank all the doctors and nutritionists of ADRA organization and thank everyone who had a hand in the success of this restored hope to many people”.
Farida
Farida is 6 months old and, like Aisha and Akila, is also from a hard to reach governate in Yemen. Therefore, despite being worried about her deteriorating health and rapid weight loss Farida’s father was unable to afford the transportation fees to travel and stay in Sanaa for his daughter’s recovery. The situation seemed hopeless but, thanks to ADRA’s team, Farida was able to receive treatment she required.
When ADRA’s medical team first met Farida they found she had been stamped with a heated iron stalk on her stomach, as her parents were suspicious of her extremely thin and malnourished body and thought it was connected to evil spirits – unaware of the symptoms of severe acute malnutrition.
Alarmed by such damaging misconceptions surrounding malnutrition, ADRA is now working hard to address misinformation in the region. Farida, meanwhile, is now enrolled on the CMAM program – to treat her severe acute malnutrition and is on her way to a full recovery.
We are delighted to be witnessing such uplifting success stories come from these deliveries and look forward to continuing to work to provide more aid to hard-to-reach Yemeni communities in the near future as there are thousands more children like Aisha, Akila and Farida in desperate need to assistance whose suffering can so easily be turned around by nutritional aid.
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