CERF helps a young doctor deliver life-saving treatment

Yemen |2024|CERF

Yemen, Hudaydah governorate. Dr. Jamal Al Babeli is a young doctor at Bajil Hospital, working on the front lines of a growing health crisis.

Over eight years into the conflict, families in Yemen struggle to keep their children safe from war and also from hunger and disease, as poverty worsens under the continuing crisis. The health system is vastly under-resourced, making it hard for people to access quality care.

The governorates of Hajjah, Hudaydah and Taiz are among the worst affected, by food insecurity and by acute malnutrition. In a vicious cycle this is made even worse by the lack of access people have to quality primary health care.

Dr. Al Babeli is witnessing the country’s malnutrition crisis first hand. “We can’t stand by and do nothing,” he said.  

He works in the therapeutic feeding center, part of a network supported by the WHO with funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund. The center provides life- saving nutrition treatment, oxygen and safe water for sick children.

“Most people can’t afford treatment if they have to pay,” explains Dr. Al Babeli. “Thanks to collaboration with the World Health Organization and CERF, good quality treatment is free. This is saving lives.”

The cost of treatment isn’t the only challenge: getting to the clinic is also expensive for families with limited resources. With CERF funding, WHO is able to provide transport assistance, admission kits, and cover caregivers’ travel costs, reducing their financial burden.

Dr. Al Babeli himself has benefited from on-the-job training, gaining specialized skills in the treatment of malnourished children.

“I have become more confident in my work,” he said. “Working at the clinic has given me a new set of skills and knowledge. I’m more passionate about my work, when I can save a malnourished child.”

Posted November 2024

Based on an original story from the WHO in February 2024

More information on the CERF allocations in Yemen