Following the recent escalation of fighting in western Yemen, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) confirms that its teams remain in Mocha, supporting the General Hospital.
Over the past few days, many people have fled the city, including health staff from most hospitals. With several health facilities currently not functioning, the staff who remain at the General Hospital are a vital source of medical care for people in Mocha.
The needs are high and go far beyond trauma care. As of today, around 30 MSF healthcare workers are doing their utmost to help keep essential services running in the hospital, including maternity and paediatric care, as well as treatment for a range of other medical needs, including cholera. Their work is saving lives.
For this work to continue, the medical and humanitarian mission must be respected. Medical facilities, vehicles and staff must be protected so that people can safely access the care they need. This is also essential to ensure that patients in critical condition can be safely referred when the treatment they need is not available locally.
We are looking for ways to reinforce our team in Mocha, but this is not straightforward. The situation remains highly uncertain and is stressful for both the population and our teams. We are closely monitoring developments and engaging with the relevant authorities on the need to protect medical and humanitarian activities.
MSF has been supporting the provision of care in Mocha since 2018. Today, as yesterday, our focus remains clear: to ensure that people in Mocha can continue to access essential medical care despite the current uncertainty.
