Expanding water and hygiene best practices in vulnerable districts

Yemen | 2024| CERF

Yemen, Amran governorate. Fatima, a 36-year-old midwife who works in the village of Al Aridah in As Sawd District, was worried about the health of the mothers and children she supports.

The health of the villagers was poor, and levels of illness high, in large part due to the lack of safe water and information on best practices. “The health situation was unacceptable,” explains Fatima. “Children were sick with diarrhoea, making the malnutrition crisis even worse.”

The village lacks adequate clean water, leaving many residents without safe drinking water. As a result, most households resort to using any water they can: unfortunately, though, this is often contaminated and causes illness.

“The lack of clean water here is a long-standing problem,” says Fatima. Those who can afford it pay for water trucking. But this is an expensive luxury - the water trucks charge high fees.

With support from Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), CARE has been getting the word out about better hygiene practices.

CARE shared hygiene awareness information with 22,000 people in the As Sawd sub-district, through sessions on handwashing, personal hygiene, water purification, prevention of cholera and COVID-19, human waste disposal, and the risks of open defecation to public health.

To spread the message, ten volunteers, including Fatima, conducted hygiene trainings for people in the area. Fatima learned a lot herself – and it’s knowledge she can pass on to her patients.

"Since I’ve had the training and started sharing what I know, I have noticed fewer kids getting sick in the health centre where I work," says Fatima. "Now we have a clear vision of creating a healthier future for patients.”

More information from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund.

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