Annie whybourne

The agriculture is abundant but sadly it is apparent that a large portion of it is dedicated to qat production a stimulant plant produced locally.

Staff at the entrance of the trauma centre in the mother and child hospital prepare a patient to be transferred. It is obvious that the people of Taiz city and suburbs, and the surrounding villages, are suffering extreme stress in their lives.

Feeding and supporting a family is very difficult, and the exchange rate is soaring daily. Public infrastructure is highly fractured so that power, water, sewerage, garbage collection, education and health services are not always available. Throughout the country, many doctors, nurses and other staff have continued to work in public hospitals and health centres without salaries for over 18 months , with almost no equipment or supplies to offer adequate care.

Public services are available to some extent because of private providers with generators and water trucks, and MSF providing healthcare and support for public infrastructure. Many people have fled to Taiz to seek refuge after they have been displaced from their own villages and live with relatives or survive in tents in the hills nearby. Every day I am confronted and disturbed by extremely malnourished children, with wide-eyed emotionless stares, and with mothers who are obviously suffering the pain of trying to care for such a child.

It is the only centre providing free maternal and child healthcare to a surrounding population of ,, as the local government hospitals are mostly non-functional, or cut-off by the frontline.

It is a very hectic health facility, and every month on average we see 2, outpatients, patients at the emergency department, more than babies delivered and paediatric admissions!

We also have a neonatal nursery with 36 beds, oxygen, antibiotics, suction, warmth and medication. It is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the community. The demand for nutritional support is growing; and while food is available not all locals have the money to buy it, especially at such inflated prices. We run a busy inpatient and outpatient feeding program. Every day I am confronted and disturbed by extremely malnourished children , with wide-eyed emotionless stares, and with mothers who are obviously suffering the pain of trying to care for such a child.

It is hard to imagine how their tiny bodies hang on to life. Recently, we admitted an eight-month-old boy who weighed just 1. Rehydrated, he weighed only 1. Every month on average MSF sees 2, outpatients through the hospital in Taiz and more than babies delivered. I am moved by stories from mothers who I have the privilege to know through our wonderful translators. A mother came with her month-old boy, who had suffered an acute collapse.

She suspected correctly that he had suffered internal bleeding, because three of her four sons had already died from bleeding complications associated with haemophilia — an inherited blood disease where the blood is not able to clot properly. She had three daughters who were well. She was a very capable woman who had sought as much education as she could as a child but had to leave school at the age of 12 to marry.

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