Key facts
- Newborn twins Raghad and Raad Hassan suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
- The twins' family fled intensified conflict in Yemen, leading to displacement.
- Soaring food prices and lack of access to baby milk are contributing factors.
- Al-Sadaqah hospital in Aden faces critical shortages of funding, staff, and equipment.
- The twins' father lost his livelihood after fleeing with his family.
Newborn twins Raghad and Raad Hassan, seven weeks old, are fighting for survival due to severe acute malnutrition in Yemen, a crisis exacerbated by the ongoing civil war. Their family was forced to flee their village amid intensified fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces, undertaking a difficult three-day journey to Aden. During their trek, the twins' health deteriorated significantly. Upon arrival at al-Sadaqah hospital in Aden, doctors diagnosed them with severe acute malnutrition, a condition as deadly as conflict-related injuries. The hospital's malnutrition unit is struggling with severe shortages of funding, staff, and equipment, leading to limited patient admissions and tragically, preventable deaths. The father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, a shepherd, lost his livelihood when he fled, leaving behind his flock and struggling to provide for his family, with his three older children sleeping on the street outside the hospital.