Newborn twins battle severe malnutrition as Yemen conflict deepens hunger crisis

Displaced family's struggle at Aden hospital reflects wider catastrophe in war-torn country

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Read Time3 min

When seven-week-old twins Raghad Hassan and Raad arrived at al-Sadaqah hospital in Aden after their family fled Houthi advances, they were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Their ordeal is part of a wider surge in hunger and displacement in Yemen, where more than 250,000 people have been driven from their homes since a ceasefire collapsed in the summer and aid access has been cut for 800,000 others.

Seven-week-old twins Raghad and Raad were born prematurely as fighting intensified in Yemen's long-running civil war. Their family fled their village in the Kahboub mountains under Houthi fire, walking for three days to reach the port city of Aden.

"It was very difficult," their father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, told the BBC. "We didn't find cars or transportation. One kind person brought us here [on the fourth day] while others refused."

By the time the family arrived at al-Sadaqah hospital, the twins were barely clinging to life. A doctor described them as "just skin and bone." Both were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Raad, the sicker of the two, could not keep down fortified milk and had visible ribs, his chest heaving with rapid breaths.

The twins' mother Lina said they were exhausted during the journey. "They were exhausted… there was cold and dust. Their vomiting and diarrhoea got worse."

The twins' case is part of a wider crisis in Yemen. The United Nations reports that after an informal ceasefire collapsed in the summer, more than 250,000 people have been displaced and around 800,000 can no longer receive lifesaving aid. Houthi forces have advanced along the Red Sea coast and completely cut off Yemen's third largest city, Taiz, where civilians face grave risk and soaring food prices.

The malnutrition unit at al-Sadaqah hospital has 22 beds but can only admit 13 patients at a time due to a lack of international funding, staff, and equipment. Dr Noor Mohammed, a doctor at the unit, said it was sad but they lose patients because of the conditions. "We don't have good equipment like ventilation machines, and oxygen bottles," she said. "There are no good resources."

Many children return after discharge because their parents cannot afford proper nutrition or medicine. "Sometimes a child comes back to us after a week, or two days. Sometimes it is the same day," Dr Mohammed said.

Supervising nurse Aisha Ragab, who herself fled war in 2018, advocated for the twins to share a single bed so they could be admitted. "I feel for them," she said, "because I have already lived through the situation myself."

Bajash is now a shepherd without a flock, having left behind his ten sheep, his only livelihood, when he fled. He now spends nights on the street with his three other children under five, with no bedding or belongings.

The UN had already estimated that half a million Yemeni children would suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, before the latest escalation.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The twins' plight highlights how conflict drives malnutrition, with children bearing the highest cost.
International funding shortfalls force hospitals to ration care, meaning many children are turned away.
The collapse of the ceasefire could accelerate displacement and hunger across Yemen, escalating the humanitarian disaster.

Background

Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels took control of the capital Sanaa. The internationally recognised government, with backing from a Saudi-led coalition, has been fighting to regain territory. The conflict has devastated the country's economy and health system, and the UN has long described it as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition has been a persistent issue, worsened by fighting, blockades, and economic collapse.

Key Perspectives

[Displaced families]: Families like Bajash's are caught between war and poverty, losing their livelihoods and access to food and healthcare. They often have to choose between fleeing and staying in danger, and even when they reach hospitals, they struggle to afford treatment or basic nutrition. [Healthcare workers]: Medics like Dr Noor Mohammed and nurse Aisha Ragab work under extreme constraints. They treat the most critical cases but cannot accept all patients due to shortages. Many have themselves been displaced and understand the trauma firsthand. [Warring parties]: The Houthi offensive and government counter-attacks, including Saudi air strikes, have directly caused displacement and cut off aid routes. Blockades and fighting restrict the flow of food and medical supplies, worsening the crisis for civilians.

What to Watch

The number of children admitted to hospital for severe acute malnutrition in the coming weeks.
Whether the UN is able to negotiate access for aid to cut-off areas like Taiz.
Any moves towards restoring the ceasefire or peace negotiations.
International humanitarian funding pledges and their disbursement.

Sources

Newborn twins fight for survival as conflict fuels Yemen's hunger crisis · BBC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe newborn twins have severe acute malnutrition.BBC News: “The diagnosis came quickly - severe acute malnutrition.”
SupportedYemen’s conflict is deepening the hunger crisis.BBC News: “Hunger did not arrive with conflict, but it's spreading with the latest bloodshed.”
Partly supportedMore than 250,000 people have been displaced and around 800,000 can no longer receive lifesaving aid after an informal ceasefire collapsed in the summer.BBC News: “The United Nations says around 800,000 people can no longer receive lifesaving aid and more than 250,000 have been displaced, after an informal ceasefire collapsed in the summer.”
Partly supportedThe family fled under Houthi fire.BBC News: “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.”
SupportedThe father said, “It was very difficult. We didn't find cars or transportation. One kind person brought us here [on the fourth day] while others refused.”BBC News: “"It was very difficult," says their father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, a softly spoken shepherd. "We didn't find cars or transportation. One kind person brought us here [on the fourth day] while others refused."”
Partly supportedThe family walked for three days to reach Aden.BBC News: “What followed was three days on foot heading for the port city of Aden.”
SupportedThe twins’ mother said, “They were exhausted… there was cold and dust. Their vomiting and diarrhoea got worse.”BBC News: “"They were exhausted… there was cold and dust. Their vomiting and diarrhoea got worse."”
SupportedDr Noor Mohammed said, “We don't have good equipment like ventilation machines, and oxygen bottles,” and, “There are no good resources.”BBC News: “"We don't have good equipment like ventilation machines, and oxygen bottles," she adds. "There are no good resources. A lot of laboratory investigations... it's very hard to do them."”
Partly supportedMany children return after discharge because their parents cannot afford proper nutrition or medicine.BBC News: “And some of those discharged are back all too soon. "Sometimes a child comes back to us after a week, or two days," says Dr Mohammed. They return because parents cannot afford proper nutrition or vitamins or antibiotics.”
SupportedThe hospital’s malnutrition unit has 22 beds but admits only 13 patients at a time because of shortages in funding, staff and equipment.BBC News: “There are 22 beds, but staff told us only 13 patients were admitted at a time - the most critical cases - due to the lack of international funding, staff, and equipment.”
SupportedBefore the latest escalation, the UN estimated that half a million Yemeni children would suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.BBC News: “Even before the latest escalation, the UN calculated that half a million Yemeni children would suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.”
Partly supportedBajash now spends nights on the street with his three other children under five, without bedding or belongings.BBC News: “As doctors monitored his twins, he cared for his three older children - all aged under five. They lingered on a bench in hospital reception without toys, bedding or baggage of any kind. But they could not sleep there. So, they spent the night outside, on the street”

Correction

22 October 2026An earlier version of this story described Bajash as a former shepherd. He is a shepherd who had to leave his flock behind when he fled.