Through War & Cholera: The Suffering of the People of Al- Mahwait
Yemen is currently experiencing the worst cholera outbreak in history. On the 14th of August 2017 the World Health Organization (WHO) updated the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen to 500,000 and by the 5th of September, the number went up to 612,703 cases, with the death toll standing at 2,048.
YFCA implemented the Cholera response Project #6271 which is funded by YHF/OCHA, in Al- Mahwait Governorate
Nadiah, a 50 years woman is one of the many victims who contracted cholera and then rushed to the Diarrhea Treatment Center (DTC) in Al- Tawilah district, in the govenrate of Al- Mahwait for the second time. The Cholera center is one of the many centers supported by YFCA as part of the Cholera intervention Project implemented in Al- Mahwait governorate.
Due to the current situation and the conflict the country is living, people like Nadiah and her family do not have the financial means and hardly have enough to get by.
Nadia was taken by her family to the DTC before and was given medical care but when she returned home, her health did not improve and she didn’t get any better due to her age.
Nadia defined her health condition saying “I was rushed to the center after my first visit. My skin completion turned yellow and I was throwing up a lot. My stomach was giving me so much pain and I had diarrhea. I felt so tired, weak and really freaking out, I’ve been here for the last four days, today I feel much better, I don’t have much pain in my stomach and the feeling of nausea is gone. I still feel tired though but that I can bear. The medical team in the center was very gentle and nice to me throughout my stay here, they always check on me and ask me how I’m feeling. They even gave me instructions and a flyer on how to protect myself and my family from Cholera, God bless them all” stated Nadiah when we visited her at the center on her way home.
“We were very worried about my mother, we have heard about the spread of Cholera across our district but we did not expect it to happen to a member of our family. My mother was feeling very tired and weak due to her age. We are just glad she is better now. The YFCA medical team was very kind to us and they were very gentle to our mother. They keep the place very well maintained and clean. I just wish they would get more support to accommodate more people in need for similar assistance. Some people can’t make it to the hospitals nor can they afford the local health centers expenses. This center is really saving lives” stated Nadiah’s daughter.
