“Around 1500 families received a ration kit weighing 50 kg each, providing for around 360,000 meals,” Aster DM Healthcare said in a statement.
The dry ration kit included rice, wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, beans, milk powder, pulses and other essential food items to provide a balanced diet for entire families of young children, lactating mothers and other adults.
The on-ground mission was led by Jaleel PA, Head – CSR at Aster DM Healthcare and external volunteers who distributed the ration kits in remote communities of Hadramout region near Seiyun International Airport, where Yemenis continue to suffer due to food insecurity, malnutrition, healthcare gaps, lockdown impact of the Covid-19 crisis and a recent sudden flash flood which led to the destruction of homes and livelihoods.
Through this mission, Aster Volunteers were able to support about 5,000 individuals who received food kits from distribution centres set up in Seiyun, Tarim and Shibam towns from August 15.
The food items were procured locally with the help of funds donated by Aster employees and with a matching donation from Aster DM Healthcare.
Aster DM Healthcare CSR Head Jaleel PA (extreme left) along with external volunteers donated 75 tonne of food to underpriveleged families in Yemen.Speaking on the relief mission Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said: “Yemen continues to suffer from years of civil war which has resulted in huge devastation — unfortunately, the human disaster is humongous leading to loss of life of civilians through conflict, starvation and death.
“In fact, Yemen is on the brink of one of the worst famines in history affecting millions including children. The programme by Aster Volunteers is our effort to help the population of Yemen in whatever little way that we can,” he said.
According to the latest figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Malnutrition Report, nearly 2.3 million children under the age of 5 are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year in Yemen. Out of these, up to 400,000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition and could die if they do not receive urgent treatment.
Aster Volunteers also plan to organise medical education, training and capacity building sessions for local doctors of Yemen that would equip them with the latest information required to meet the healthcare needs of the local population.
During the four-day mission, a delegation of Aster Volunteers met senior government officials, academics, students and members of business community to understand the challenges faced by people of this region.
In the coming months, Aster Volunteers will engage with local charity organizations and government departments to provide support in several areas, including primary healthcare, health awareness among remote communities and in the education sector.
The food relief mission is a part of Aster Volunteers’ natural disaster support and relief aid programme which has previously supported Kerala flood victims, famine struck Somalians, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Syrian refugees in Jordan’s Zaatari camp among others, which has benefitted 288,158 people till date.
