The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed that 10 million Yemeni children are suffering from malnutrition and stunting, with more than half of the population, “18.2 million people, including 9.8 million children,” in need of life-saving support, after nine years of conflict in Yemen.
According to the United Nations media center, UNICEF’s director emphasized that the reduction in active conflict since April 2022 has led to a decrease in civilian casualties and suffering across communities, but the situation remains fragile without achieving a sustainable political settlement.
UNICEF highlighted that fragility is most evident in the ongoing malnutrition in Yemen, where more than 2.7 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. Furthermore, 49 percent of children under the age of five suffer from stunting or chronic malnutrition, hindering their growth potential with long-term damage to their physical and cognitive development.
The executive director of UNICEF stated, “The wicked mix of years of prolonged conflict, a collapsed economy, and a failed social support system has had a devastating impact on the lives of the most vulnerable children in Yemen.”
UNICEF emphasized that a vast number of children still lack basic necessities, including proper nutrition, which could threaten future generations unless urgent measures are taken to provide children with the preventive and therapeutic measures they urgently need.
UNICEF aims to reach over 500,000 Yemeni children this year with severe acute malnutrition treatment, a critical step to contribute to reducing deaths of children under the age of five. Despite ceasefire-like conditions, intermittent fighting and exchange of fire continue in many parts of the country where children fall victim to landmines and explosive remnants of war. Since the conflict began in 2015, over 11,500 children have been killed or injured as a result of the conflict, according to UNICEF.
Catherine Russell reaffirmed that UNICEF and its partners will continue life-saving work in Yemen to help ensure that children who have suffered greatly have a brighter future. To do so, we need continuous support, commitment, and solidarity from our partners and the international community.
