Hope On Wheels: UNICEF Mobile Teams Deliver Health Care In Yemen
Four-year-old Adham eats from a packet of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) after being diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition supplied by a UNICEF-supported mobile team in Dhamar, Yemen.
© UNICEF/UNI736173/Haleem
After 10 years of war, Yemen is gripped by malnutrition, disease outbreaks, lack of access to health care and other urgent services, and other life-threatening risks to the most vulnerable — all evidence of a full-scale humanitarian crisis.
One in two children under 5 are acutely malnourished; over 537,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a condition that is agonizing, life-threatening and entirely preventable. In addition, 1.4 million pregnant and lactating women are malnourished, perpetuating the cycle of intergenerational suffering.
'Mothers and children are the foundation of any society. When they are healthy, the whole country is healthy.'
UNICEF and its donors support the implementation of many interventions in Yemen, helping people in the war-torn country get access to health and nutrition services, safe water and education. UNICEF's mobile teams are one example of a vital service platform bringing essential health and nutrition services directly to families in remote parts of the country.
'Mothers and children are the foundation of any society. When they are healthy, the whole country is healthy,' says Khawla Ahmed Abdullah Al-Hilmani, a 29-year-old midwife who works on one of the mobile teams.
A UNICEF-supported mobile team provide services from a building in Dhamar, southwestern Yemen, for families who cannot reach health centers.
© UNICEF/UNI736179/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
Support from the Swiss National Committee for UNICEF has enabled the deployment of mobile teams in several governorates, including Hajjah, Hodeidah, Taiz, Dhamar and Al Dhale`a, reaching the most vulnerable including children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Jamila Ali Al-Moshki, a midwife from Dhamar, explains why the deployment of mobile teams is so important for the local population: 'Before this mobile team, we had no appropriate place to accept patients, screen and treat them for malnutrition and other minor illness or vaccinate children. I hope this project continues, as it helps so many people here.'
In Yemen, UNICEF-supported clinics staffed by mobile teams target malnourished children whose families cannot take them to health centers.
© UNICEF/UNI736208/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
In Hajjah governorate, for example, mobile teams are deployed to work in places where fixed health centers are inaccessible or non-functional.
Every day, these UNICEF-supported mobile teams reach thousands of families, doing medical check-ups, nutritional screening and vaccinations and providing nutritional support and consultations.
Munira, 4, is screened for malnutrition by a UNICEF mobile team member.
© UNICEF/UNI736157/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
Dr. Ali Abdullah Aziz Al-Khader, Director of the Health Office in Dhamar District, explains why the mobile team in Dhamar is extremely important: 'Dhamar is located between two governorates, so a team here is easily accessible for many people who otherwise would not be able to get the medical help they need,' he says. 'Yes, we face many difficulties, but we never stop working because for many people this team is the only chance for treatment and recovery.'
Despite all the challenges — logistical hurdles, ongoing conflict and the constant need for medical supplies — they continue working with support from organizations like UNICEF and their donors, saving one life after another.
Learn more about UNICEF's work for children in Yemen
Located in southwestern Yemen, the city of Dhamar lacks sufficient health care services.
© UNICEF/UNI736209/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
For many families, the mobile teams are more than just vehicles carrying medical supplies and people who share advice on how to take care of their babies. They are a beacon of hope.
'My son is three years old and suffers from malnutrition,' says Ishraq Mohammed Al-Masnai, a young mother from Dhamar. 'I am grateful to the doctors in this team. Thanks to them, my son and I receive all the necessary treatment.'
In Dhamar, 4-year-old Adham (top photo) receives treatment from a mobile team operating under the supervision of the Health and Environment Office. He is just one of the hundreds of children who receive help and lifesaving care from the mobile team in the area.
A doctor prepares to vaccinate a child in a UNICEF-supported health clinic in Dhamar, Yemen.
© UNICEF/UNI736197/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
Khawla Ahmed Abdullah Al-Hilmani, a midwife, says, 'We help pregnant women and young mothers, educate them about nutrition and reproductive health, and provide antenatal and post-natal services. However, sometimes people do not fully understand the idea of vaccination and regular check-ups.'
Two-year-old Ibtisam, who suffers from malnutrition and receives treatment from the same team, has made remarkable progress, thanks to the care she has received. She and other young children who suffer from malnutrition get regular check-ups along with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and micronutrient supplements distributed by the mobile team. Their parents get qualified advice about proper care and nutrition for their children along with vaccinations and other medical services they may need.
Three-month-old Nawaf is vaccinated by a UNICEF mobile team member in Dhamar, Yemen.
© UNICEF/UNI736192/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
Despite impressive achievements and support from local and international partners, these initiatives face many challenges. Insecurity, fuel shortages, funding cuts and disrupted supply chains make it hard to predict how and whether the project will develop, reaching more families in need.
While the mobile teams have dramatically increased health care access in Yemen, not all regions receive the comprehensive care they need due to funding gaps. However, UNICEF, along with its partners, remains optimistic and dedicated to their goals, expanding these services further and building on the success already seen in governorates like Al Hodeida, Hajjah and Raymah.
'In 2025, we continue to support 3,200 health facilities, the treatment of 600,000 malnourished children, 70 mobile teams, 42,000 community health workers and 27 therapeutic feeding centers," UNICEF Representative in Yemen Peter Hawkins said on March 25. "For this to continue, we need sustained funding. Otherwise, 7.6 million people in Yemen risk not having access to primary health care."
Related: Foreign Aid Funding Cuts Harm the World's Children
Some of the children benefiting from the assistance provided by a UNICEF-supported mobile team in Yemen.
© UNICEF/UNI736184/Ahmed Haleem. All rights reserved.
These mobile teams are not just about delivering health and nutrition services; they represent a powerful commitment to reach every child, every family and every community in need, saving the future of Yemen one life at a time.
'Yemen's children cannot wait another decade," said Hawkins. "They need peace. They need justice. But above all, they need us to act — now. Let us not fail them.'
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
Help UNICEF reach more children in need. Donate today.
This story was adapted from unicef.org
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