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Yemen war leads to demand for prosthetics
STORY: 15-year-old Anwar Musaad lost his right leg in a landmine explosion.He’s one of thousands who have lost their limbs during Yemen’s brutal seven-year war.“I came today to change the artificial limb because it has become short. I have pain, and I want to extend it or change it, because I have been using it for more than a year, and I felt pain two weeks ago.”The conflict has led to skyrocketing demand for prosthetics in Yemen.This center in Sanaa is run by the health ministry and supported by the Red Cross – but staff here say they can’t keep up with demand.”We have an abnormal increase of cases in the center. There is almost, if not more, a 300 percent increase in the number of cases, due to the war situation in Yemen, some of which are caused by remnants of war, landmines as well as explosions.”After being fitted with artificial limbs, patients need help learning to walk again.Amin Hajar runs a private clinic – he says motor disability is becoming a growing issue in Yemen.“The rate of motor disability is large in Yemen. Before the war in 2015, the official rate of motor disability was about 3 percent and it was considered a very high number. Now, the available figures show that more than 10 percent of Yemenis suffer from motor injuries, which is also considered one of the highest rates in the world.”Sanaa and northern Yemen have faced thousands of air strikes from a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in the country’s civil war in 2015.In April, both sides in the conflict agreed to a U.N. ceasefire proposal — the first comprehensive agreement in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
