Health needs grow for people in former safe haven of Marib
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Dotted across Marib governorate, in northeast Yemen, are 134 camps – temporary home to Yemenis displaced from their homes by the six-year-long conflict, African migrants stranded in Yemen, and members of a vulnerable minority group from Yemen known as Al-Muhamasheen.
Before the start of the conflict, Marib was home to almost 400,000 people, according to local authorities. Now, it hosts nearly 2.7 million people, including those displaced from elsewhere, all looking for a safe haven.
Marib no longer a safe place to be
However, Marib is no longer a safe place to be. In recent weeks, the frontlines of the conflict have moved eastwards into the governorate. On 8 February, fighting escalated in Sirwah district, to the west of Marib city, causing large numbers of injuries and forcing some 10,000 people to flee, and about 600 families have settled in a camp about 20 kilometres outside of town. Teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) donated essential drugs to hospitals in Marib to help them cope with the influx of wounded, and have started providing basic healthcare to the newly displaced people.