Economic Blockade Causes Surge in Malnutrition & Child Mortality Rates
Years of American-Saudi-Emirati aggression and economic blockade have led to a dramatic increase in food insecurity, with acute malnutrition now posing a severe threat to the lives of children under five in Yemen.
The humanitarian crisis has caused devastating harm to children, according to warnings from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Malnutrition severely affects a child's physical and cognitive development, especially during the first two years of life. These effects are often permanent, resulting in long-term poverty and inequality.
Due to the ongoing war and blockade, the number of malnutrition cases and related deaths among children, newborns, and pregnant mothers has surged, alongside widespread food insecurity. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Environment, the number of children suffering from moderate to severe acute malnutrition between 2017 and 2024 has risen to 10,033,318. Furthermore, 180,650 children under five suffer from severe acute malnutrition with complications, and 45% of children under five are stunted (short for their age).
Additionally, 5,997,092 pregnant and lactating women were affected by moderate acute malnutrition during the same period, with over 1.8 million women suffering from malnutrition and one million women suffering from anemia.
Dr. Anis Al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Environment, told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the aggression and economic siege significantly contributed to the rise in malnutrition. The difficulty of importing basic commodities at the official exchange rate further worsens the country's food insecurity.
He pointed out that the blockade has led to a decrease in overall demand, deepened the economic recession, increased unemployment and poverty, and made access to essential social services, such as education, healthcare, and clean water, more difficult. It also deprived 1.5 million poor families of social welfare cash assistance.
According to Dr. Al-Asbahi, around 1.25 million state employees who support 6.9 million people, including 48.2% children, have suffered due to unpaid salaries, further exacerbating malnutrition.
He highlighted the rise in infectious diseases, noting that two out of every five children suffer from diarrhea, 60% from malaria, and over 50% from acute respiratory infections.
He also pointed out that in some areas, disease outbreaks, like suspected cholera cases, are contributing to the growing health crisis.
The spokesperson identified poor food quality and quantity among children as a major cause of acute malnutrition. Less than 40% of children meet the minimum dietary diversity, reflecting a critical lack of essential nutrients in their diets.
He further mentioned improper infant and young child feeding practices, with exclusive breastfeeding rates falling below 35% in northern regions and under 25% in more than 60% of southern regions—largely due to the lack of access to health and nutrition services.
Dr. Al-Asbahi reviewed the efforts made by the Ministry of Health in combating malnutrition, including expanding community-based treatment programs for malnutrition, opening new centers for managing severe acute malnutrition with complications, rehabilitating nutritional surveillance centers, and providing treatment for all forms of acute and moderate malnutrition.
The crimes committed by the coalition through ongoing aggression and blockade against the Yemeni people continue to speak for themselves, manifesting directly and indirectly across all sectors of life, including healthcare.
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