From the day they were born, just seven weeks ago, twins Raghad Hassan and her brother Raad have been battling for survival. They came into the world prematurely as fighting surged in Yemen's long-running civil war between Houthi rebel fighters and government forces. When the Houthis reached their village in the Kahboub mountains in south-west Yemen, their family of seven was forced to flee amid bombs, missiles, and drone attacks – the twins protected only by blankets.
Journey to Safety
What followed was three days on foot heading for the port city of Aden. Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, their father and a softly spoken shepherd, described the ordeal:
“"It was very difficult. We didn't find cars or transportation. One kind person brought us here [on the fourth day] while others refused."
As the family walked, the twins grew weaker, according to their mother Lina.
“"They were exhausted… there was cold and dust. Their vomiting and diarrhoea got worse."
By the time the newly homeless family arrived at al-Sadaqah hospital in Aden, the twins were barely clinging to life. A doctor remarked,
“"Just skin and bone," as he looked at their wasted limbs. Raad was the sicker of the two, with visible ribs and rapid, shallow breaths. He was barely bigger than the hands of the nurse who carried him gently to be weighed and measured.
The Struggle for Food
Bajash expressed his concern, stating that the twins were fed twice a day, but sometimes he could only give them water due to the war driving up the price of baby milk. The diagnosis came quickly: severe acute malnutrition.
“"That can be as deadly as a bullet," the doctor noted.
