Cases of acute malnutrition are rising rapidly in Yemen

The number of malnourished children under the age of 5 has increased by 34 percent over the past year in areas controlled by the Government of Yemen, according to the latest assessment by the Technical Working Group on Integrated Food Security (IPC) Phase Classification.

At the Al-Maidan Health Centre in Aden, Yemen, 3-year-old Ali eats from a pack of Ready-to-Eat Therapeutic Food (RUTF) provided by UNICEF.

Diseases such as cholera and measles, high levels of food insecurity, limited access to safe drinking water and economic recession are contributing to soaring rates of acute malnutrition among vulnerable children in Yemen, according to analysis carried out by the Technical Working Group on Integrated Food Safety Phase Classification (IPC).

More than 600,000 children, including 120,000 severely malnourished children, need urgent assistance. For the first time, conditions are extremely critical in the western coastal region of Yemen. In the same region, some 223,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women also suffer from acute malnutrition.

A mid-upper arm measurement of 8-month-old Marwa shows she is severely malnourished. At Al-maidan Health Center in Aden, Yemen, Dr. Kamla Ali prescribes a course of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) provided by UNICEF.

Yemen has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world

The most serious level of malnutrition under the IPC classification system, extremely critical acute malnutrition, refers to areas where the prevalence of malnutrition increases above 30 percent. This level reached unprecedented highs in the southern lowlands of Hodeidah and the Taizz lowlands between November 2023 and June 2024. In Hodeidah, the prevalence of acute malnutrition increased to 33.9 percent from 25.9 percent year-on-year.

From July to October 2024, the lean months when agricultural activity is minimal, all 117 districts in the Yemeni government-controlled areas surveyed are projected to experience severe acute malnutrition or worse (IPC Phase 3+ acute malnutrition); Mawza district in the Taizz lowlands is also likely to reach critical levels (IPC AMN Phase 5).

Eight-month-old Marwa eats the contents of a packet of RUTF, a long-life fortified peanut butter used to restore malnourished children to health.

Urgent need for investment and increased efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition

This ongoing conflict in Yemen has led to widespread economic collapse over the past eight years, shattering social systems and uprooting families, disrupting their livelihoods and cutting off access to basic services. Severe food shortages and poor feeding practices, including suboptimal breastfeeding practices, are making this situation even worse, leading to some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world.

“The report confirms the alarming trend of acute child malnutrition in southern Yemen,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Yemen. “To protect the most vulnerable women, girls and boys, investing in and scaling up prevention and treatment interventions is more important than ever. We will continue to do everything we can, including building on the existing multi-sectoral response to combat life-threatening forms of malnutrition, so children can survive and thrive.”

Dr. Kamla Ali, a doctor in the nutrition department at Al-maidan Health Center, gives a supply of RUTF to the mother of a malnourished child. One pack contains 150 sachets, enough for a six- to eight-week treatment to restore the health of a severely malnourished child.

UNICEF and partners are working to protect the lives and future of children in Yemen

UNICEF is working with UN partner agencies to address these challenges and build the resilience of the Yemeni people, while calling for an end to the conflict and a return to peace. As part of its ongoing response to the crisis in Yemen, UNICEF plans to treat an estimated 504,000 severely malnourished children only this year.

Speaking to UN News from Sanaa on August 20, 2024, Hawkins said: “Ultimately, our job, UNICEF and the UN, is to make sure that the humanitarian imperative is met: that children get healthcare, that children’s nutritional status is not compromised, that children can get food, that women and girls have access to literacy, numeracy and learning opportunities so that they can seize opportunities in life.”

Read more about UNICEF’s work for children in Yemen.

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