WIREDGOV

Six months of unremitting violence in Yemen have left at least 505 children dead, 702  injured and more than 1.7 million at risk of malnutrition, Unicef said recently.

Across the country, nearly 10 million children – 80 per cent of the country’s under-18 population – need urgent humanitarian assistance. More than 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes. 

“With every day that passes, children see their hopes and dreams for the future shattered,” said Unicef Representative in Yemen Julien Harneis. “Their homes, schools and communities are being destroyed, and their own lives are increasingly threatened by disease and malnutrition.”

Even before the conflict, the nutrition situation was dire as Yemen produces less than 10 per cent of its food needs and relies heavily on imported foodstuffs. But the escalation of the fighting has caused food insecurity to spiral and malnutrition to spike. The consequences for children are dramatic: 

• The number of children under 5 at risk of severe acute malnutrition has tripled in 2015, with 537,000 children now at risk, compared to 160,000 children before the conflict. 

• Almost twice as many children under 5, a total of 1.2 million children, are projected to suffer from moderate acute malnutrition this year, compared to 690,000 before the crisis.

Food shortages and poor access to markets caused by the conflict, reduced access to health facilities and sanitation, and the disruption of livelihood opportunities are the main causes for the deterioration. The scarcity of fuel, electricity, gas, water and other services and utilities is further exacerbating the situation.

Meanwhile, the last six months have seen a growing number of attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure. Since the escalation of the conflict in March 2015, Unicef has verified attacks on or damage to 41 schools and 61 hospitals as a result of the fighting.

Finding safe water has become a daily struggle for survival for over 20.4 million people. More than 15 million people have lost access to basic health care; the education of over 1.8 million children has been interrupted by school closures; and more than 20 million people are struggling to get the safe water and sanitation they need.

Despite these extremely challenging conditions, Unicef and its partners have been at the centre of humanitarian operations since the beginning of the conflict. The response has focused on providing drinking water and sanitation, education and child protection services as well as treatment of children with malnutrition, diarrhoea, measles and pneumonia.

Unicef and partners have provided 3 million people with access to safe water, while mobile health teams have helped deliver measles and polio vaccinations to over 5 million children. Some 93,500 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition and over 520,000 were able to take their delayed school exams. 

Since the beginning of the year, the United Nations children’s agency has also provided psychological support to help nearly 240,000 children cope with the horrors of the conflict. Some 360,000 people were reached with education material on avoiding unexploded ordnances and mines.

Notes for editors:

For further information please contact the Unicef UK Press Office on +44 (0)20 7375 6030 or media@unicef.org.uk

About Unicef

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.  

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children.  As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit unicef.org.uk