Since June, conflict-effected communities of Yemen’s northern states have struggled due to depleted oil reserves and (consequently) limited delivery of critical public services – namely healthcare. Running alongside COVID-19, this further illustrates a vital need for alternative fuel sources to ensure healthcare facilities can continue to operate.
A regional solution has come in the form of support from the Social Protection for Community Resilience Project (SPCRP) (supported by the European Union), which is rehabilitating 86 affected healthcare facilities, furnishing them and providing critical equipment required to return them to service.
Notably, the SPCRP aims to deliver uninterrupted essential healthcare services to nearly 376,000 people by providing Solar energy systems. The systems include PV panels, new electrical networks, batteries, control units, external lighting, and replacement of existing electrical fixtures to ensure compatibility.
Systems range from 1.5 to 70-kilowatts according to the facilities’ power load and needs, with one of the largest facilities – the 22nd May Hospital in Sana’a governorate – receiving a 70-kilowatt system to support its operation.
To date, 70 of the 86 targeted healthcare facilities – including nine with COVID-19 isolation units – have been rehabilitated, ensuring better healthcare access for more than 136,500 people across 12 states.
Dr. Jubran Al-Sulait, Quality Affairs Consultant for Sana’a (the largest city in Yemen) Health Office, explains: “People sometimes travel for hundreds of kilometers to find a fully functioning healthcare facility, especially from rural areas. Even if fully equipped and manned, healthcare facilities that consistently experience power supply interruptions or fuel shortages are not used for fear that someone may die.”
On top of saving Yemeni’s lives, SPCRP helps protect the brave frontline workers, providing necessary PPE.
To learn more about the SPCRP, visit here.