HEALTH 

Before conflict broke out in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, Azeb*, her husband and their two-year-old son, Filmon*, had a good life. They ran two successful businesses and could provide for Filmon. But in the six months since the conflict started, they have been forced to flee their home with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, they lived in a cave for a month to escape the violence and Filmon has developed severe acute malnutrition due to a lack of access to nutritious food. Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit runs a mobile clinic in the informal camp where Azeb, her husband and Filmon now live. The team provides primary healthcare and runs regular vaccination campaigns for newborns and children. When Azeb visited the clinic, Filmon received a Vitamin A supplement, which is essential to boost the immune system, protect against life-threatening infections like measles and diarrheal disease, and is needed for vision and bone growth. The team also referred Filmon to the nearest hospital to be treated for malnutrition and provided Azeb with medication for her infected eyes – a direct result of the poor living conditions in the informal camp. The conflict in Tigray, which broke out on 4 November 2020, is having a devastating impact on children. Many children have witnessed things no child should ever see, lost or become separated from loved ones and have been forced to flee their homes. Health facilities have been damaged leaving children, pregnant women and those who have suffered sexual violence and others without access to vital healthcare. Children have also been out of school for over a year now due to COVID-19 and now the conflict, putting them at risk of exploitation, sexual violence, early marriage and child labour. Across the Tigray region, more than 1.7 million children and adults are displaced as a result of the conflict and need urgent support with access to food – including therapeutic food for malnourished children – shelter, healthcare, mental health support, clean water and sanitation services. Save the Children is continuing to scale up its response to meet the growing needs of children and their families. The Emergency Health Unit is running mobile clinics providing primary healthcare such as vaccinations, treatment for diseases and malnutrition, care for pregnant and breastfeeding women and mental health services. We are distributing emergency supplies, such as shelter materials, essential food items and hygiene kits, and have set up Child Friendly Spaces, which provide a safe place for children to play, learn and recover from the trauma they have experienced. Our social workers are identifying separated and unaccompanied children and ensuring they are provided with care and support to keep them safe and to reunite them with their family if possible.

Muna, 42, has dedicated years of her life to helping some of the most vulnerable children to access healthcare. In 2003 her family was forced to flee their home due to conflict and drought. Now almost 18 years later she is still living in the same camp for displaced people. She says new families arrive every day. The most recent influx is due to the severe water shortages and drought currently gripping many parts of Somalia. “Children living in the camp are at risk because the living conditions are so bad and sometimes families cannot afford clean drinking water. Sometimes they cannot afford to send all of their children to school,” Muna says. “Children have a lower immunity, and they get sick quite often and when there is an illness, they get it first. For example, when COVID-19 came, many children had flu-like symptoms.” Muna is a Family Health Worker with Save the Children. “Because I have some education, I wanted to do something for my community,” Muna says. “I was nominated to be the community health worker and I did that for 16 years. Since Save the Children opened the Maternal and Child (MCH) clinic I have been working with them for the past two years.” Muna goes door-to-door each day visiting families and assessing children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women. She screens children for malnutrition and refers them to Save the Children’s MCH clinic for treatment, provides medication for illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhoea and informs families about how to keep safe from COVID-19 and about the importance of vaccines and breastfeeding.

In a remote village in North-West Kenya, Saadia*, faced a harsh reality when a severe drought struck. Her livestock died, and her two-year-old daughter, Aisha*, fell ill due to malnutrition. "In the middle of the night, I was scared... I held her hand," Saadia* recalled. "When my daughter was sick, I thought she would die. I was terrified to see her in such a situation." Saadia* embarked on a day long journey to the Save the Children-supported Hospital. Aisha* received vital medical attention and nutritious food paste. "She has gained weight and is getting stronger," Saadia* proudly reported. "She was sick before I brought her here, but she's now in good health. The medical supplies she got were effective, and she feels good." With Aisha* now recovered, Saadia* said, "She is happy and healthy! If she is healthy, I can be happy."