2023-05-23 11:19:44
- Charlene Ann Rodriguez
- BBC News
Mona with her baby, a surgeon, in her home in Al-Mahweet Governorate, northwestern Yemen
Riding a camel was Mona’s only lifeline, until she reached the hospital and delivered her baby girl after a difficult and painful labor journey.
Mona, 19, did not know that her trip to the hospital to give birth would take about seven hours. Normally, the journey from Mona’s house perched on top of the rocky mountains to the hospital takes four hours, covering a distance of 40 kilometres. But the lack of paved roads and bad weather made Mona’s journey – during which she went through labor pains – unforgettable.
“With every step the camel took, I felt myself tearing from the pain,” Mona said.
When the camel stopped moving forward, Mona dismounted and completed the last leg of her journey on foot, accompanied by her husband.
In Al-Mahweet Governorate, northwest of Yemen, Bani Saad Hospital is the only health facility left to serve thousands of women. From Muna’s home in the village of Al-Maqra, the hospital can only be reached by traversing the rugged mountains, either on camels or on foot.
As Mona struggled during her journey, she also feared for her safety and that of her unborn child.
“The road was bumpy,” says Mona. “It is a tiring journey both physically and mentally. At times I prayed to God to take me and protect my child so that I can get rid of this pain.”
image copyright Sadam Alolofy/UNFPA
Pregnant women on their way to Bani Saad Hospital, the only health facility in the governorate
Mona does not remember the moment she arrived at the hospital, but she remembers the hopeful moments after hearing her baby’s cries in the hands of midwives and surgeons.
Mona and her husband named the baby Jarrah after the doctor who saved them.
The villages surrounding the hospital suffer from poor conditions, as the roads leading to it are narrow, destroyed or forbidden to pass through, after eight years of war between pro-government forces – backed by the Saudi-led coalition – and the Iranian-backed Houthi group.
Women or family members often help pregnant women to reach the hospital through rugged hills for hours on end.
Salma Abdo, 33, who accompanied her pregnant mother, said that she witnessed the death of a pregnant woman on her way to the hospital.
Salma urges people to help and have mercy on women and children in such situations.
She also adds: “We need roads, hospitals and pharmacies. We are stranded in this valley. The lucky ones are those who give birth safely, while the others die after enduring the misery of the journey.”
Some families can pay for the hospital, but are unable to pay for the flight.
Every two hours, a woman dies during childbirth from preventable causes, according to Hisham Nehru of the United Nations Population Fund in Yemen.
“Mostly, women in remote areas of Yemen do not undergo regular check-ups, and they seek help in cases of bleeding or severe pain,” Nehru says.
image copyright Sadam Alolofy/UNFPA
Many health centers, such as Bani Saad Hospital, suffer from a lack of international financial funding
According to the United Nations Population Fund in Yemen, less than half of all births are assisted by a medical professional, and only a third of all births take place inside a health facility. About 40% of Yemen’s population lives more than an hour away from the nearest fully functioning public hospital.
The health care system in Yemen suffers from poor conditions even before the ongoing war, but the situation worsened further after the war, as extensive damage was caused to hospitals and roads, which means that it is impossible for families to travel without difficulty.
Hospitals lack equipment, medicines and qualified personnel, while investment in roads and infrastructure has stopped.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, only one in five health facilities can provide reliable and effective maternal and child health services.
I thought it was the end
Mona’s story is just one of many stories of expectant mothers in Yemen facing extreme hardship. Owning a car is out of reach for most of the poor in Yemen, where 80 percent of the population depends on aid.
A resourceful husband was able to save the cost of driving his wife to the hospital via a motorcycle that he borrowed, after he had saved money when he was working in Saudi Arabia.
Immediately, when the symptoms of childbirth began at a stunt, her brother-in-law drove her on a motorbike, but she fell in the way.
When they arrived at Al-Hadaqa Health Center in Dhamar, Heila was quickly transferred to the surgical ward.
“I thought it was the end,” said Hela, 30. “There was no way for me or my unborn child to survive.”
Heela was warned during the early stages of her pregnancy that a home birth was not a good option for her, due to the risks of heavy bleeding and other pregnancy complications.
Haila named her daughter Amal, and said: “I almost lost my child, because life has lost its meaning because of the damned war, but this child gave me hope.”
With reduced international financial funding, many centers such as Bani Saad Hospital are under great financial stress, and staff at the center fear for the future of mothers and children as they are forced to prioritize those who can save them.
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