Yusuf Haddadi and his large family lived peacefully in their modest home in Haradh city until 2015. When the war broke out and the shelling on the city intensified, Yusuf and his family were forced to flee in search of safe shelter.

Yusuf, 45 years old, supports 9 children between the ages of 15 and 9 months, as well as his wife, parents, brothers, and sisters. "Our life was better," said Yusuf. "I had children in school, we were working, but the war destroyed everything above our heads and left us with hunger, fear, and displacement."

Yusuf recalls the painful memories of the early days of the war and displacement: "It was a painful scene. The area where I lived was bombed, and we were warned to leave our home. It was a bitter choice and the worst journey when we were forced to leave our home and flee into the unknown."

Yusuf and his family took refuge in the Bani Hassan area of Hajjah governorate. They endured the bitterness of life and the harsh conditions of the war. In 2017, Yusuf was forced to look for a better place where they could receive assistance from humanitarian organizations. They settled in Al-Luz camp in Al-Juma'ah district of Hajjah governorate.

Living conditions in Al-Luz camp were no better than before. Yusuf and his family live in small huts that lack the most basic necessities for shelter. However, he and his family received food aid and health services there.

The environmental situation in Al-Luz camp was very bad. Diarrhea diseases were widespread among children due to the lack of hygiene and the absence of covered toilets and sanitation. Additionally, displaced families faced difficulties in obtaining their water needs.

The National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (NFDHR) in Keeda'na district intervened with funding from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) to implement a project in the areas of food, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and environmental hygiene.

The foundation rehabilitated the Al-Thulth water project near the camp and extended the water network to the camp. It also installed 34 toilets with septic tanks and covers, and conducted awareness sessions for camp residents on personal hygiene, water conservation, and disease prevention. Additionally, a large cleaning campaign was carried out to remove the accumulated piles of garbage in the camp.

Yusuf was happy to see the workers installing a private toilet for his family. For Yusuf and his family, having a toilet is of utmost importance.

"Having a toilet is very important," says Yusuf. "It is important for our children and our women. We used to defecate in the open, and women would wait until evening and go to an empty area to relieve themselves."

"Now Al-Luz camp is better than the previous displacement sites," he adds. "We get our needs of clean drinking water for free on a daily basis. Diarrhea diseases among our children have decreased significantly. We no longer visit the health center as often as before."

The installation of toilets in Al-Luz camp, the extension of the clean water network, the installation of distribution points close to the displaced people's homes, the pumping of water to the displaced people daily, the cleaning campaign, and the awareness sessions all contributed to improving the environmental sanitation situation in Al-Luz camp in Keeda'na district and reducing the morbidity rate among the displaced people, especially children.