Sissel Overvoll works for MSF in war-torn Yemen: "We are constantly hearing air strikes and getting patients injured by bombing every single day," the Norwegian nurse says. 




(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)

The war in Yemen is often called "the forgotten war" because it has received little attention in the world's media. The fighting has lasted for a year and has had fatal consequences for the civilians. Even those who work to save lives are at risk. Hospitals and ambulances working for MSF have been bombed four times in less than three months.

In the midst of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe stood the 32-year-old healthy lube and nurse Sissel Overvoll. “All of us who work here are aware that there is a risk and that we do not h
are some guarantees. But for me it's worth being here to help, ”she says on a cracked phone line from Saada north of Yemen.


Bomber hospital.
The war in Yemen is mainly between the Houthi rebels and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition intervened when the Houthi threw the Saudi-backed president and took over large parts of the country. According to UN figures, over 3000 civilians have been killed so far. The report says both sides have violated international law and killed civilians, but that the vast majority of the killings are the result of the Saudi-led bombing of the air.

Sissel Overvoll is involved in administering and supporting Shiara Hospital in Saada province. On January 10, this hospital was bombed by planes from the Saudi-led coalition. Six people died and at least seven were injured. Most of the dead and injured were healthcare professionals and patients.

Metal splinters come from the bombs, and such splinters can fly hundreds of meters. They are very sharp and warm – it only takes a small splint to penetrate and destroy the intestinal system.

“The fact that hospitals and health facilities are affected is difficult to accept – and it should not be accepted. We must step in as a global community and impose sanctions and show that we do not accept this, ”says the nurse. All the warring parties know exactly where MSF hospital is located, and get coordinates so that they will not bomb. The attacks on hospitals and clinics are described as targeted by MSF.

Screen Shot at 2016 05-11-15.43.13Treats war injuries. On April 1, the rockets returned. This time they struck down 30 meters from the hospital. Several were damaged, and the building suffered major new damage. Due to the bombing, Overvoll can not visit the hospital she manages.

"My main responsibility is to support them with medical materials, materials for training and counseling. We have daily contact with them by phone. I do not have the opportunity to go there due to safety reasons, "says the nurse.

The contrast to peaceful Norway is great. Overvoll also works as a treating nurse at MSF's own hospital in Saada. She sees daily the consequences of the war.

"Most recently today, we had an acute situation where we admitted 20 patients at once. Then everyone must step in and do what we can, "she says. "You can imagine – 20 patients fall in, many with serious injuries. One died right after he entered. It requires the whole team to step in. "

What types of injuries do you see and treat the most?

"There are many here who have been injured by bombs in various ways. It can be large wounds. Very many have had body parts cut off. Feet hands, fingers. Many have head injuries. Metal splinters come from the bombs, and such splinters can fly several hundred meters. They are very sharp and hot – it only takes a small splinter to penetrate and destroy the intestinal system. Our surgeons operate on many such metal splinters, and we do the best we can to save the damaged bodies, "says Overvoll.

WIN_20160415_122829Warned humanitarian organizations. The bombing of the hospital Sissel Overvoll helps to drive is far from the first attack the coalition targets those who are trying to save lives. In October last year, they bombed a hospital that MSF supports in Haydan in the Saada district. In December, they bombed a mobile clinic in Taiz. Nine people were injured. Two of the injured were healthcare professionals from MSF. On January 10 this year, the trip had come to the hospital Overvoll is involved in operating, and on January 21, they bombed, among other things, an ambulance that works for MSF, and killed the driver. In February, Saudi Arabia issued a written warning to the UN urging all humanitarian organizations to withdraw from areas controlled by the Houthis. The letter was sent to OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and was seen by many in civil society as a poorly concealed threat by Saudi Arabia.

Continues the work. Yemen is the poorest Arab country, and has had major humanitarian problems even before the war began. After the war broke out, the pain has gotten much worse. A total of 25 million people live in Yemen, and now 21 million of them are in need of humanitarian aid. This means that 21 million have an urgent need for food, medicine and water, for example. Figures from the UN show that over 1,3 million children are starving and at risk of dying from malnutrition. Saudi Arabia has imposed a blockade on Yemen, which is exacerbating the situation. 90 percent of food and medicine in Yemen are imported goods. The health service has collapsed, and people are dying due to a lack of medicines, petrol and the fact that the hospitals do not have electricity. It also does not help that more than 130 health facilities have been bombed.

Sissel Overvoll and MSF make it clear that they will stay, despite the risk posed by the war.

What do you think about any dangers to your colleagues and yourself?

"All of us who are here are aware that there is a certain risk. At the same time, thorough risk assessments are made. We have chosen to rely on the assessments made by our colleagues who are responsible for safety. We feel that it is very important to be here – there are very few who are here to do this type of job. For me, the value of helping is worth the risk, "says the nurse.

Hope people see what is happening. Overvoll has previously worked with Ebola victims in Sierra Leone and with vaccinations in South Sudan and Guinea. The nurse from the Sunnmør village of Stranda says that it is frustrating for her and the other aid workers that the war in Yemen receives so little attention. She hopes that more people here at home will open their eyes to what she experiences daily.

"Traveling to Yemen to help is not for everyone. If anyone can, it's great. It is also possible to support those who are here and help. The most important thing is to get media attention and to start talking about the war. That is the way we can create change, "says Overvoll.

For many in Yemen, MSF means the difference between life and death. They have so far treated more than 31 war wounded and received 000 tons of medical supplies in Yemen. In April, a new attempt was launched for peace talks between the parties. The airstrikes against Yemen have been unparalleled – partly because Saudi Arabia is the world's largest importer of weapons. The United Arab Emirates, which is an active part of the coalition, is the world's fourth largest arms importer. At the same time as the hospital Sissel Overvoll administers was bombed in January, Norway sold weapons to the Emirates. Most recently in January, Norway sold ammunition and grenades to the Emirates for NOK 860 million.

Subscription NOK 195 quarter