The crisis in Yemen has been going on for more than six years, and it’s no longer a top story in the headlines. Fortunately, in Hajjah governorate we see fewer casualties as a result of fighting compared to the early days of the conflict. However, the war is not over.

There are of course still conflict-related deaths in the country. What doesn’t usually receive attention, though, is the impact that this conflict has had on people’s wellbeing, and their mental health in particular.

I’m the mental health activity manager for Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of Hajjah, about 120 kilometres northwest of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.

Authorities have identified more than 9,000 patients in the Hajjah area who are in need of mental health services. The actual number is probably even higher, since mental health needs tend to be underestimated.

MSF is supporting Al-Gamhouri hospital to provide specialised mental health services. We treat a wide range of conditions, from anxiety and insomnia to psychosis, depression, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The impact of conflict
One of the important things to understand about mental wellbeing is that it is very much affected by external factors. The more intense someone’s circumstances are, the more their wellbeing will be impacted.

Living in a context of war means being exposed to constant stress for a long period of time. Armed conflict in Yemen has not only affected people’s physical health: it has reduced their access to healthcare, education, and food, it restricts their freedom of movement and denies them the freedom to express themselves. This has a profound effect on people’s mental health.

Read the full article about mental health amidst a civil war by Antonella Pozzi at Doctors Without Borders.