In brief
When Yemen’s Houthis stormed a quiet mountain village, seven‑week‑old twins Raghad and Raad were left clutching blankets. Forced to trek three days toward Aden, the newborns arrived in a state of severe acute malnutrition, barely breathing. A determined nurse shared a single hospital bed with the twins, and a shepherd‑father can’t even afford baby formula. The situation underscores how the civil war has turned Yemen into a siege of food insecurity, with half a million children now at risk of death from malnutrition.
Newborn twins fight survival as conflict fuels Yemen's hunger crisis
Seven‑week‑old Raghad and her brother Raad were born prematurely right before the Houthis seized their mountain village; a family of seven fled on foot amid bombs, missiles and drone attacks that left only blankets against the wind.
Their arduous three‑day trek led to Aden’s al‑Sadaqah hospital where doctors described the twins as "just skin and bone," with Raad’s ribs visible and chest heaving rapidly.
The diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition is as lethal as a bullet: the twins received fortified milk only twice a day, often with only water when the cost of formula exceeded their meagre means.
Nurse Aisha Ragab, herself a war survivor, shared a single bed to keep the infants alive, insisting the children deserved care even if resources were scarce.
Across all hospitals, many beds are locked or unavailable; only the most critical cases are admitted. Dr Noor Mohammed explains that lack of equipment such as oxygen bottles prevents adequate treatment, leading to repeated discharges and readmissions.
The UN reports over 250,000 displaced persons and half a million children in Yemen now suffer from malnutrition; the ongoing conflict and an informal cease‑fire collapse have intensified shortages and price hikes.
Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, the twins’ father, left behind a flock of ten sheep—his only livelihood—when forced to flee. With no shelter in the hospital, his younger children slept on the street outside reception, highlighting the widespread insecurity affecting families on both sides of the war.
Additional reporting by Wietske Burema, Lee Durant and Suaad Al Salahi.
