Child Malnutrition Soars in Yemen, Reaching “Extremely Critical” Levels in Government-Controlled Areas, UN Says

A stark rise in child malnutrition is gripping Yemen’s government-controlled areas, with “extremely critical” levels recorded for the first time in parts of the country’s south, a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative said, as reported by France24, citing AFP.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a statement on Sunday highlighting the alarming trend, stating that the number of children under five suffering from acute malnutrition, or wasting, has increased by 34% compared to the previous year. This translates to over 600,000 children affected, including a harrowing 120,000 who are severely malnourished.

Yemen has been ravaged by a devastating civil war since 2014, pitting the internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The conflict has plunged the country, already the poorest in the Arabian Peninsula, into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

The IPC data, covering 117 government-controlled areas, reveals that all these regions are expected to experience high levels of malnutrition between July and October. The report categorizes some areas as having “extremely critical” levels of acute malnutrition, signifying a prevalence exceeding 30%. This is the first time this most severe rating has been assigned to any region in Yemen.

The UNICEF representative in Yemen, Peter Hawkins, described the report as a confirmation of a “disturbing trend.” Several international organizations have been forced to scale back their operations in Yemen due to a lack of funding.

Pierre Honnorat, the Yemen director for the World Food Program (WFP), echoed the urgency of the situation. “The WFP is currently forced to provide smaller-sized rations, and these findings should be a wake-up call that lives are at stake,” he stated. “It is critical to step up support to the most vulnerable who could sink deeper into food insecurity and malnutrition if current low levels of humanitarian funding persist.”

The surge in malnutrition is attributed to such factors as disease outbreaks (cholera and measles), widespread food insecurity, limited access to safe drinking water, and a declining economy, according to the report.