In haunting image of Yemen war, starving boy Ghazi is too weak to cry


Yemen, Nov 21(AFP): Skin and bones, 10-year-old Ghazi Saleh lies on a hospital bed in the southwestern Yemeni city of Taez barely breathing. He only weighs eight kilogrammes.

Starving and too weak to move or even cry, Ghazi can only look down at his emaciated body as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

Some 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine, more than four years into the country's war.

  

At Al-Mudhafar Hospital where Ghazi is being treated, medics go from one bed to another to check on malnourished children -- including infants.

Eman Ali, a nurse at the hospital, said that Ghazi suffers from acute malnutrition.

"He has not eaten properly for a while now, and he ultimately reached this situation," she told AFP.

While some doctors and nurses weighed children, others tried to feed the young patients through syringes as they have become too weak to swallow.

Cases of malnourished children have become a reflection of the health system in Yemen, where children bear the brunt of the war between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.

While the United Nations is hoping for peace talks to take place in Sweden by the end of this year, the situation on the ground remains dire with millions of children starving.

"We receive such cases every day, and some of them are very terrible," said Sona Othman, head of nutrition at Al-Mudhafar Hospital.

"Ghazi's case was extremely bad and it mirrors the deteriorating health situation of the country."

Children at great risk

According to the UN children's agency (UNICEF), more than half of the 14 million people on the edge of famine are children.

Fatima Salman, whose infant son is malnourished, said that she feels more hopeless the longer the conflict rages.

"My husband had a job before the war, and he earned just enough money to feed us, but now there's nothing," she told AFP.

"We want this war to end but we only see it getting worse and worse."

More than 22 million people three quarters of the population now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive.

Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving government clerks and teachers without pay for months.

UNICEF estimates that some 4.5 million children in Yemen risk losing access to state schools, as teachers have not been paid in nearly two years.

More than 2,500 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and others are now used as shelters for displaced people or as bases run by armed groups.

The war has left an estimated 10,000 dead since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

However, human rights groups say the real death toll may be five times higher.

Yemen's war has put the country's children at particular risk.

More than 40 percent of Yemeni girls are married before the age of 15 and three quarters wed by 18, according to UNICEF, while boys are at risk of being drawn directly into the conflict to fight as child soldiers.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Chris, Tel Aviv

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Saudi is bombarding them day and night but some will blame Israel .😂😂

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Naveen, Mangalore

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Modi, BJP and RSS have spoiled entire world....

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Bangalore

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Humanity among brotherhood should be the first priority of every nation.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Anita, Bajpe

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Maria ,
    They also claim its the complete religion including science and fastest growing how funny

    DisAgree [2] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Maria, Moodbidri, Kelowna

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Shankar,
    Every one has their own belief. Can you tell me why Rohingya refugees are not taken by a single weathy arab country? Its always only we, who feel pity on them and invite them , giving welfare even they dont agree our way of life, Why not their own brotherly arab countries?

    DisAgree [3] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rasheed, Khobar

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Maria,

    It is not only who feel pity on them and invite them, Arab countries also send huge sum of money as charity to help them but it is not in news.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kumari, Karkala

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Whats the point of praying several times a day and fast a month when there is no humanity among brotherhood.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kumari, Karkala

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Whats the point of praying several times a day and fast a month when there is no humanity among brotherhood.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kumari, Karkala

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Whats the point of praying several times a day and fast a month when there is no humanity among brotherhood.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shankar, Mangaluru

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Now,
    I would like to ask some simple questions to all those readers here who like Jossey Saldanha who always comment 'God is great, Thank God' etc for everything. What is God doing now? Isn't he seeing this boy? What is he punishing this child for? for past sins?? I can not believe this boy has committed such a lot of sins in 10 years!!!! Or is God testing him..? .. for what?
    Please note, I am not pointing at any one God.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    God is always great..

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shankar, Mangaluru

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Henry,
    If you have commented this after looking at the picture of the boy, then I am sorry, I should say you are heartless!!

    DisAgree [4] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Beowulf, Mangalore

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Shankar,

    This is what religion does. a complete lack of empathy. And the worst thing is that they don't even realize it.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [2] Report Abuse

  • RkR, Mangalore/ Dubai

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    I’ll make it complicated, u answer me.
    U Read holy book n conclude yourself.
    You define God? Brief about your belief?
    God n killing? Ur holy book or any scripts
    just differentiate o make some time to read.
    Holy books- Hindu Muslim Christian Buddhist Jew n soon

    Human acts don’t bring God into it.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shankar, Mangaluru

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    You mean to say God is powerless against human deeds???

    DisAgree [1] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Sahil, Mangaluru

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    War itself became trends in few country.no discussion to find out peaceful solution.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    This is beyond inhumane. War is about greed, power, & control. If we don’t come together as a people to protect what matters - our children & communities, then we’re doomed as a species.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • bm, mlr/ksa

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    May Allah punish those who are behind sufferer of innocent people around the Globe

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • RkR, Mangalore/ Dubai

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    War zone- Arabs should think about woman n children- Lack of food water n shelter.

    Human life has no value, people are suffering - Just using good weapon for practice z good but not against innocent lives.

    Ur just creating anger amongst young once.
    May Almighty protect n safegaurd u from evil minds.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    I wonder where are we Heading ...

    DisAgree [4] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    I can’t believe how human nature is going down the drain. Food have been sacrificed for guns and power..

    DisAgree [3] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sahil, Mangaluru

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Rightly said.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Tell The Truth, Mangalore/New Delhi

    Wed, Nov 21 2018

    Nothing but effect of peaceful religion on this earth. Brothers not agreeing with one another's idealogy from the beginning and targeting..bombarding now and than. When you take religion in blood..such things happen. Nobody thinks religion only to make a person good to society..and nothing else. Some people over powered religion..a sad fact.

    DisAgree [8] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse


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