UNICEF: Half a million Yemeni children at risk of death

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned yesterday that half a million Yemeni children suffering from acute malnutrition are at risk of dying if they do not receive urgent care and specialised treatment.

 The ongoing violence in Yemen fuels one of the worst hunger crises in the world, with almost seven million people not knowing where their next meal will come from, and are desperately in need of food aid

the organisations said in a statement.

According to the statement: “Nearly 2.2 million children are malnourished, half a million of whom suffer from acute malnutrition.”

The statement quoted Khairat Kabalari, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, saying: “Millions of children in Yemen are suffering from acute malnutrition, many of whom die from preventable diseases.”

 Unless the parties to the conflict and the international community take further action, Yemen will be at risk of falling into the grip of famine and leaving more children hanging between life and death. We are in a race against time.

UNICEF has appealed to donors to provide $236 million for life-saving programmes for children affected by the conflict in Yemen this year, where funding for both organisations does not cover 20 per cent of their needs.