Yemen: Urgent action needed to stop spread of acute watery diarrhoea in Hajjah governorate

Geneva/Sanaa, 3 November 2026 - Over the past four weeks, the Hajjah governorate has seen the number of acute watery diarrhoea cases double, bringing the total number of cases reported since July to over 2,900. Unlike last year, children under nine years old are the most affected. Donors must mobilise immediate and sustained funding to address critical gaps in care and essential services. Every delay puts more lives at risk, says Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

MSF, in collaboration with the governorate health authorities, is addressing the growing need for acute watery diarrhoea treatment in both Abs and Hajjah districts. However, with continued rain resulting in increased cases, there is an urgent need for other humanitarian organisations to act to ensure access to life-saving treatment and community outreach, and to scale up water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Communities in Hajjah governorate have experienced repeated outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea since late 2016.

In Abs, as in previous years, MSF teams initially established an acute watery diarrhoea isolation centre at Abs General Hospital at the end of July. As cases increased, MSF subsequently set up a dedicated 25-bed diarrhoea treatment centre (DTC). As case numbers increased further, capacity was expanded to 50 beds. Between mid-July and mid-October, 1,408 cases were admitted and treated, including 42 pregnant women.

In addition to receiving patients from Az Zuhrah district in neighbouring Hodeidah governorate, MSF is supporting three oral rehydration points (ORPs) across Abs district, two of which are located in IDP camps, to deliver initial treatment for less severe cases and health promotion activities.

In Hajjah, MSF started supporting the existing acute watery diarrhoea unit at Al Ghamhouri Hospital on 12 October, expanding its capacity to 37 beds. Within the first 10 days, the unit admitted 171 cases of acute watery diarrhoea, of which 30 per cent were children under five years old. Of the one in six patients who presented with severe dehydration, most were pregnant, elderly or suffering from chronic disease.

“No one should lose their life to a disease that can be treated if care is received in time,” says Abdul Aziz, MSF’s medical coordinator in Yemen. “Acute watery diarrhoea can cause severe dehydration within hours, making early treatment critical. To prevent avoidable deaths, treatment must be available close enough to home.”

In Yemen, years of conflict have damaged essential infrastructure, weakened basic services and placed additional strain on an already fragile healthcare system. Severe cuts in humanitarian funding and the withdrawal of humanitarian organisations have further reduced access to essential services such as healthcare and water and sanitation. Affected communities, the majority of whom are displaced and living under the poverty line, are left with fewer sources of support and face a heightened risk of disease outbreaks and adverse health outcomes.