UNICEF: Escalating Fighting and Fuel Shortages Threaten Water Supplies for at Least 1.6 Million Children in Taiz
UNICEF representative in Yemen warns that escalating fighting and fuel shortages threaten water supplies for at least 1.6 million children in Taiz, amid worsening humanitarian conditions
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Geneva, October 20 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Yemen, Achille Ayer, warned on Tuesday that escalating fighting and fuel shortages in Yemen’s Taiz governorate are threatening the continued operation of water systems that supply approximately three million people, including at least 1.6 million children.
Speaking via video link from Aden during a press conference in Geneva, Ayer said, “Taiz, one of Yemen’s most water-scarce regions, is facing mounting pressure on its essential services amid worsening humanitarian conditions, rising displacement rates, and food insecurity.”
He added that “around 120,000 people have displaced to Taiz since the recent escalation in September, accounting for more than half of all newly displaced persons across Yemen.” He noted that fighting has disrupted vital supply routes, including the road connecting Taiz and Aden, contributing to reduced supplies of food and fuel and driving up prices.
Ayer explained that since the beginning of this year, UNICEF has conducted malnutrition screenings for over 168,000 children in Taiz, revealing that more than 52,000 of them suffer from acute malnutrition—nearly one-third of those screened.
He warned that the lack of clean water and the deterioration of sanitation services increase the risk of diarrhea and cholera, which can worsen child malnutrition by impairing the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients needed for children’s growth and recovery.
Ayer also highlighted that the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that wheat flour stocks in Taiz-affected areas are nearing depletion, while the governorate faces high levels of food insecurity. He pointed out that ten out of 16 districts have been classified as in the Emergency phase according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which is the stage immediately preceding famine.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a tripling of suspected cholera cases across Yemen within just three weeks, signaling escalating health risks that threaten children. (End) A.M.Kh./M.Kh.
