Patient figures between 19 March and 1 April:
· 580 wounded people received in MSF’s emergency surgical unit in Aden, South Yemen over seven different waves of mass casualties.
· 128 war-wounded received in emergency wards supported by MSF in Ad Dhale governorate, north of Aden.
· 34 people wounded and 29 killed by airstrikes in IDP camp Al Mazraq received by MSF supported hospital in Haradh.
MSF operations by location:
Haradh Town (Hajjah governorate, north Yemen)
MSF supports a hospital in the town of Haradh.
· After Al Mazraq Camp was hit by an airstrike on 30 March at least 34 people wounded in the attack were brought by ambulance to the hospital. An additional 29 people were brought in but were dead on arrival including men, women and children.
· Approximately 500 new families had arrived in the camp in the two days prior to the airstrike, fleeing bombings in the western area of Saada. Al Mazraq Camp was established in 2009, when thousands of people fled fighting between government troops and Houthi forces in Saada Governorate.
Aden and the South
· Since 19 March, MSF has witnessed seven mass patient influxes and received more than 580 wounded in Aden. On 30 March, 50 wounded were treated; on 31 March we treated 34 people. On 26 March, 111 patients arrived.
· Wounded patients have been coming from Aden, Lahj and other areas of the south. Airstrikes are ongoing around Aden, either blocking access via the three main routes to Aden or making access very difficult due to fighting and insecurity.
· MSF has been referring cases to other hospitals when MSF’s surgical unit is too busy, and have carried out donations of dressing materials to hospitals in Lahj and Abyan.
· Aden is now experiencing difficulties handling corpses. All morgues are full, and there are reports of bodies on the streets.
· We have been unable to send medical personnel or supplies by land, air or sea and have surgical team on standby ready to go.
Sana’a
There have been airstrikes in Sana’a every night since 26 March, though MSF doesn’t have direct information about the number of casualties. We have received a request to support a hospital in Sana’a and we are conducting a preliminary assessment of the situation. MSF runs a HIV programme in Sana’a, in partnership with the National Aids Programme, but we are currently unable to assess if and how treatment for patients has been affected by the current instability.
Amran governorate (north of Sana’a)
MSF runs all key services of the hospital in Khamer city and supports Huth health centre, 30 kms away. The situation remains relatively calm but IDPs have started to arrive in Huth. The team in Khamer is on alert in case of IDP movements into the city or nearby.
Ad Dhale governorate
· MSF works in the emergency and surgical services of Al Nasser general hospital in Ad Dhale city, the emergency services in Qataba’a district and runs a primary healthcare clinic in Al Azaraq districts. As of 1 April, MSF had received 128 wounded in Al Nasser and Qataba’a, including individuals from both sides of the conflict. While we were able to do a supply run just as the conflict started, we have not been able to resupply since then and stocks are fast running out.
· MSF teams also run an ambulance system to refer patients needing to go to the Al Nasser hospital or the Qataba’a facility. The ambulance team currently enjoys acceptance from all conflicting parties in the area, and regularly crosses frontlines to transfer the wounded for treatment. Nonetheless, during periods of active fighting, the ambulance service is restricted for security reasons.
· We are also receiving requests to support other hospitals in the area, which we are fulfilling on an ad hoc basis to the extent that our own supply situation allows. Many people have fled Ad Dhale city to villages in the surrounding area, and there are unconfirmed reports that this number could represent as much as half of the population of Ad Dhale city.
· Insecurity is high in Ad Dhale. For example, last week an RPG rocket accidentally landed on an MSF guesthouse. There were no casualties as there were no staff members inside at the time.