UNICEF: Over 2.2 Million Children in Yemen Threatened by Malnutrition

Geneva, September 25 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that more than 2.2 million children under the age of five in Yemen are threatened by malnutrition and hunger this year, including more than half a million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition amid the escalating war.

Achille Ayer, UNICEF’s Representative in Yemen, speaking via video link from Aden during a press conference in Geneva, said that more than one in four children suffers from acute malnutrition, while approximately 200 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, according to results of assessments conducted by UNICEF teams in recent weeks on about 2,900 children in areas with safe humanitarian access.

He clarified that these figures represent only a sample of the scale of the dire situation in other parts of Yemen, following years of conflict, a protracted food crisis, and the country’s ongoing economic deterioration.

He added that the humanitarian crisis encompasses many other aspects, such as education, health, and displacement. He noted that around 130,000 people, including 71,000 children, were forced to flee during the past three weeks due to the conflict, and 243 schools were closed, leaving approximately 140,000 children out of school.

He further stated that the organization has verified the killing of 15 children and the injury of 14 others since the beginning of the current month, as well as the disappearance of three others, noting that other incidents remain under investigation.

In this context, the Representative renewed UNICEF’s call for the protection of children, civilians, and civilian infrastructure, for adherence to international humanitarian law, and for facilitating safe and unrestricted humanitarian access. (End) A.M.Kh./T.M.A.