A victim treated in the hospital in Sana'a. Nuha Haider/ DRC
Raeed is a nine-year-old child in the second grade who lives in Bani Matar. In August 2024, a violent explosion occurred in Raeed’s elementary school, located in the Bani Matar region in Sana’a Governorate. The explosion injured 34 individuals, all of whom were students at the school, and 10 of whom were Raeed's relatives. Raeed was in the courtyard when he felt the ground shaking beneath him. He didn't understand what was happening until he saw smoke rising and children screaming.
I suddenly heard an explosion and the sound of a siren in my ears. Everyone was running and screaming. I didn’t feel pain in my leg, but I felt wet and looked down to see my leg bleeding. I didn’t cry, but I was afraid of another explosion.
/ Raeed recounts
Raeed sustained severe injuries to his leg and was rushed to the nearest medical clinic for first aid before being transferred to a government hospital in Sana’a. In the hospital, Raeed faced a long and painful ordeal. His injury was severe and required complex surgery. However, the doctors at the government hospital lacked the specialized staff required to treat Raeed’s injury, leading one of the surgeons to suggest amputating Raeed’s injured leg. But Raeed’s grandfather refused the surgery, and, through the support of the National Protection Cluster, Raeed’s case was referred to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), who transferred Raeed to a private hospital. DRC covered Raeed’s treatment cost, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded by Sweden, along with the medical fees of 22 other children who were also injured during the explosion.
In the private hospital, doctors determined that Raeed’s condition did not require amputation. The doctors performed a procedure to stabilize Raeed’s leg, treat the bacteria, and perform skin grafting. "In the government facility, Raeed and Ahmed suffered greatly while dressing their wounds, as their frail bodies could not withstand the pain. When they saw the nurse coming to start cleaning their wounds, they would begin to scream in fear,” says Raeed’s grandfather. “However, after being transferred to the private hospital, the medical care was better; they received better treatment, and the doctor here saw no need to amputate Raeed’s leg,".
Following the treatment at the private hospital, Raeed was in pain due to his injuries and the surgery, which caused him to feel afraid of returning to school. He expressed his anguish, saying, "I don’t want to go back to school, and I don’t want to learn anymore." This incident deeply affected him and left a significant mark on his heart. DRC referred Raeed to a local NGO that specializes in providing psychological support services and Raeed is now receiving the necessary support. This will support Raeed's mental well-being and help him address any emotional challenges he faced after this incident.
From June 2024 to December 2024, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, funded by Sweden, the Danish Refugee Council has supported 137 individuals who sustained conflict-related injuries in Yemen, through providing access to life-saving medical care.