One of the most severe consequences of the conflict in Yemen has been widespread food insecurity and increasing numbers of malnourished children. The current level of hunger across the country is unprecedented, with 17 million Yemenis facing food insecurity. Child malnutrition in Yemen is among the highest in the world, with almost 2.2 million Yemeni children under the age of five acutely malnourished, including 538,000 children severely malnourished and 60,000 children suffering from critical medical complications as a result of severe acute malnutrition .
Agricultural activities, trade routes, and food supply chains have been disrupted, and food prices are spiking as a result of limited availability It worth mentioning that before the conflict, Yemen was facing significant challenges related to food production and water scarcity. The situation now, after eight years of conflict, is exponentially worse.
“The conflict in Yemen has also resulted in widespread displacement, poverty, and limited access to essential health care services. coupled with decreased incomes as a result of conflict and displacement. Families sometimes need to choose health care over food needs as they can’t afford both – which is a struggle,” said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen.
With support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), the World Health Organization (WHO) is working to combat malnutrition and support child health care in Yemen through a package of nutrition-specific and health interventions in the 8 main referral teaching hospitals of the country. As part of the KSrelief-funded project, “Strengthening Essential Nutrition Interventions in Child Health Services for Sustained Mortality Reduction”, from May 1st, 2021, to June 30th, 2023; almost 432,000 children under the age of five in eight governorates across Yemen were screened for all forms of malnutrition and appropriately referred to benefit for appropriate health and nutritional care when needed.
Almost 18,430 children were provided with medical treatment at WHO-supported pediatric wards and intensive care units in the eight referral teaching hospitals covering 114 priority districts, and almost 4,600 malnourished children received health and nutrition services at WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centers located in the pediatric ward of these hospitals.
WHO has also trained almost 400 health workers on managing medical complications in children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. To increase families’ awareness and knowledge on basic nutritional and preventive health requirements for children and promote the importance of continuity of breastfeeding, WHO trained 1,277 community health and nutrition volunteers and midwives to communicate key health and nutrition messages to the most affected vulnerable communities in 28 districts, in addition to developing awareness messages for TV and radio and capacitating and involving communities through religious, youth and women platforms.
Story: Inas Hamam, Daniah Batayneh/ WHO-Yemen
Photos: © WHO-Yemen