126 children born with congenital anomalies at Al-Sabeen Hospital in Sanaa

SANAA, July 28 (YPA) -Al-Sabeen Maternity Hospital in Sanaa has recorded the birth of 126 cases of congenital anomalies during 2022 and the first half of 2023.

In a report obtained by Yemen News Agency (SABA), the hospital indicated that the cases of deformities were distributed as hydrocephalus, deformity of the foot, bowel exit, and other deformities of spinal hernia, cleft lip, cleft palate, and skin abrasions.

The report indicated that 56 cases died after giving birth, while 70 cases received treatment according to the treatment plan prescribed by the hospital’s consultants, specialists and doctors.

The Director General of the hospital, Dr. Magda Al-Khatib, explained that 49 cases of congenital malformation out of the total number of cases in the hospital are scientifically undefined, have multiple malformations and cannot be classified among common malformations such as syndromes, hydrocephalus, cleft lip, and others.

She pointed out that common fetal malformations include cerebral palsy, cleft palate, malformations of the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and genetic congenital malformations.

Dr. Al-Khatib attributed the reason for the high incidence of congenital anomalies to the remnants of the Saudi-led coalition from cluster bombs and other internationally prohibited weapons that were used during the aggression on Yemen.

Many areas in Yemen’s governorates have been bombarded by the coalition  with cluster bombs, while many of those internationally prohibited bombs are still scattered among farms and roads, and their victims are in the dozens.

Each of these weapons has its own properties and high impacts on human and the environment, which remain life threatening for a long period of time. This shows the scale of the disaster that befell Yemen as a result of these US, British and other weapons.

E.M