A seven-year-old boy in Yemen lies on a hospital bed in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen, severely paralyzed and malnourished from famine as a result of a six-year war in the country.
The boy, Faid Samim, who suffers from cerebral palsy and severe malnutrition weighs about 15 pounds. In order to get him the proper help, his family traveled through checkpoints and broken roads from Al-Jawf, which is 105 miles north of Sanaa, Reuters reported. (RELATED: Yemen On Verge OF World’s Worst Famine In Decades As US Threatens Rebels, UN Chief Warns)
Yemeni boy, ravaged by hunger, weighs 7 kg https://t.co/7WjfuzeVqA pic.twitter.com/xrLQcsVVPG
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 4, 2021
“He was almost gone when he arrived but thank God we were able to do what was necessary and he started improving. He is suffering from CP (cerebral palsy) and severe malnutrition,” Rageh Mohammed, the leading doctor of the malnutrition ward at Al-Sabeen hospital, said.
Faid’s family, who is unable to afford the cost of his medication or treatment, relies on donations from others in order to get him the proper care. While famine hasn’t officially been declared openly in Yemen, malnutrition cases are on the rise in the country as a result of the famine caused by the war.
The war, in which a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting against the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement, has left about 80% of Yemen’s population reliant on foreign aid or even just the kindness of other people, according to Reuters.
In addition, the war has left more than 100,000 people dead and the country even more divided than ever, according to Reuters.