Two million young children face acute malnutrition in Yemen this year

Millions of children in Yemen are at risk of acute malnutrition due to the ongoing conflict, according to a recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). The agency predicts that by the end of this year, 2.2 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition, including over 500,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition, which is the most severe form.

Unicef representative Akhil Iyer expressed deep concern over the increasing number of malnourished children in Yemen, stating that during recent screenings, more than a quarter of the 2,900 children examined were malnourished and over 200 had severe acute malnutrition.

The conflict between the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthis has erupted into full-scale fighting in recent weeks, following a period of relative calm since a truce in 2022. The violence has resurfaced along previous battle lines, such as in the southwestern city of Taiz, as the Houthis advance south along the Red Sea coast.

This renewed conflict has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, with over 133,000 people displaced and some fleeing to neighboring African countries. Iyer noted that access to healthcare and nutrition is being disrupted as families flee the violence and search for sustenance.

A distressing example cited by Unicef is that of a four-year-old boy suffering from severe acute malnutrition, whose family recently fled fighting near Mokha on the coast. The agency reported at least 15 children killed and 14 injured since September 3, while three others remain missing. Additionally, the fighting has forced 243 schools to close or suspend classes, impacting more than 137,000 students.

Unicef is scaling up its emergency response to reach up to 231,000 people through mobile health and nutrition teams, water services, and child protection programs, while urging all parties to protect civilians and allow safe humanitarian access.