New Health Facility Brings Support Closer to Displaced People on Yemen’s West Coast

Mokha - Hasan and his family remained crammed for days in a trench they dug in the yard of their house to protect themselves from stray bullets hailing from every direction. The conflict had abruptly enveloped their village on the west coast of Yemen, entrapping hundreds of people.  

When the clashes died down one day, they hurriedly packed their necessities and fled the area. 

“We moved at sunset. We loaded donkeys with easy-to-take items and left everything else behind. It was risky to travel on foot all night, we had no choice but to leave,” recalled Hasan. 

Before being displaced, Hasan lived with his wife and three children in their own house.  He earned a good income from working on farmland he was renting. 

Displaced people face the brunt of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Many live in overcrowded displacement sites where access to basic services – especially healthcare – is nonexistent.  

When Hasan arrived in the Al Yabli displacement site, which hosts over 1000 families, he stayed in his brother's tent until he received shelter materials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, his family still struggled to meet their most basic needs. 

“When we first arrived in Al Yabli site, there was no health centre. When someone got sick, we had to travel far away to Al Khukhah district. This cost us money, time and effort,” said Hasan.  

Eight years of conflict have reduced the health system in Yemen to the brink of collapse. With less than half of Yemen’s health facilities functional, it is estimated that 20.3 million people in Yemen need support to access health services. 

With support from the Government of Japan, USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), IOM constructed a static health centre at Al Yabli displacement site. The Organization equipped the facility with furniture, medication and equipment, and brought on medical staff to support.  

Since opening its doors in August 2022, families like Hasan’s can now receive immediate relief from any illnesses that arose. Since last year, over 10,000 people have received healthcare services at the centre. 

“Before the health centre was established, only people with critical cases were taken to the closest health facility which was far away from the site. Many other people who can’t afford the cost of travelling and treatment used to remain without treatment, and pregnant women suffered complications during childbirth in the absence of maternal health services,” explained Dr. Abdullah, an IOM health staff in Al Yabli. 

“This health centre made our lives easier. In the past few months, my wife and I visited this clinic and received treatment and medicine for free. Now that we have a clinic in the site, we don’t worry about travelling long distances if one of our children gets sick,” expressed Hasan.  

Displaced people residing in Al Yabli site can now receive medical consultations and treatment for communicable and non-communicable diseases, vaccinations, screening and treatment of malnutrition for children as well as pregnant and nursing mothers. Women also have access to regular pregnancy care and reproductive health services. 

“Besides the other health services, we provide counselling sessions to support individuals affected by displacement and harsh living conditions. We also run group activities to improve the psychological health of people in the site,” added Dr. Abdullah. 

IOM and partners implement health programmes across Yemen to ensure vulnerable populations have access to health services. This includes the construction and rehabilitation of facilities like Al Yabli, as well as operating mobile medical clinics, training health workers, offering preventative care to stem the spread of disease, among other services. 

In 2022, over 2.8 million people benefited from IOM health interventions.