Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on international and regional donors and other humanitarian actors to step up and aid in the response to a sharp rise in acute watery diarrhea cases which is a life-threatening condition in Yemen.
Just in the week of September 7, cases increased by 65 per cent in Hodeidah and Hajjah governorates, according to MSF. This surge comes amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the country and drastic global aid funding cuts.
The number of patients at Abs General Hospital in Hajjah governorate has doubled to more than 400 patients since the beginning of September. Al Qanawis Hospital in Hodeida reported a weekly average of more than 21 patients—a 50-percent increase—many of whom are children under 5 years of age.
Acute watery diarrhea is a deadly condition caused by the rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes through diarrhea, which can lead to severe dehydration, kidney failure, and even death if not treated promptly. The illness disproportionately affects children under 5 and other vulnerable groups, with severe dehydration leading to death in many cases. Timely treatment can save lives and prevent unnecessary deaths.
To adequately respond to the higher number of cases over the last several months, MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, opened a 50-bed diarrhea treatment center in Abs General Hospital. It was later expanded to 75 beds, and a 20-bed capacity center also opened in Al Qanawis to support the increase of cases. Teams at these centers have treated a total of 4,493 patients of acute watery diarrhea since the start of response in July.
“Every day we are seeing more and more children arriving in severe condition, often with complications such as dehydration and malnutrition,” said Aziz Harouna, MSF medical coordinator in Yemen. “Our teams have expanded diarrhea units in the two governorates to treat the cases and are implementing infection prevention and control measures to contain the spread of the disease. The surge comes at a time when the country is already affected by global humanitarian aid cuts.”