Seven-year-old Erada was playing with her family outside their home in Yemen when they heard a horrifying sound: the whistle of falling bombs. Terrified, Erada and her four-year-old cousin Hada tried to flee, but it was too late. A shell exploded, injuring both girls.
One minute, there were sounds of children playing without a care in the world, and the next, two girls were being rushed to a hospital where they each had a leg amputated.
Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team in Yemen provided care to Erada immediately following her operation. "At first, Erada constantly wondered about her missing leg and her cousin’s," her mother explains. “Everyone in our family was sad and traumatized. Erada lost a lot of blood and was so weak. She needed care, medicine, and nourishment to survive. And we had nothing left because of the war. Fortunately, she received help from other patients and staff at the hospital. They knew how much support our family needed. Thanks to them, my daughter recovered."
Erada lives with her parents and seven siblings in the governorate of Ibb. The family has been plunged into poverty by the conflict and can no longer work their farm. Two of her brothers have dropped out of school and work as day laborers.
When a child loses a limb, their physical needs are obvious, but the psychological effects are often overlooked. Humanity & Inclusion’s team provided her with psychological and social support and led group therapy sessions where she met other children with disabilities.
“At first, Erada was very sad and cried a lot,” a psychosocial worker with Humanity & Inclusion explains. “She was afraid of people, even children. We gave her things to help entertain herself and included her in the children's activities. She gradually became part of the group.”
After a few sessions, Erada started to talk, share her toys, and make new friends. Erada was fit with an artificial leg and received physical therapy sessions from HI, so she could learn how to walk again. Today, Erada stands tall!
Thanks to generous Humanity & Inclusion donors, this is where Erada’s journey begins.
There are so many innocent children, like Erada, who are caught in the crossfire of conflict. Make a gift to help a child stand tall. Your generosity will make such a difference.
Humanity & Inclusion and the Yemen crisis
Humanity & Inclusion (which operates under the name Handicap International in Yemen) operated in the country from the early 2000s up to 2012, focusing on physical rehabilitation. Since returning in 2014, our mission has grown. Today, we provide direct services to individuals affected by the ongoing conflict, particularly people with disabilities, through rehabilitation care and psychosocial support at eight public health facilities in and around Sana’a city. Learn more about our work and the Yemen crisis.