Malnutrition is a persistent risk to children in Yemen. The country sees seasonal and annual peaks, usually linked to the lean season caused by the disruption of agricultural production in rural areas. This pattern was seen before the escalation of the war in late 2014, but it has worsened due to the direct and indirect effects of the ongoing conflict, which have exacerbated food insecurity for already vulnerable people

MSF does not have a countrywide overview of the population’s nutritional status as, we’re present in 13 out of the 21 Yemeni governorates, in addition, no large-scale nutritional surveys have been conducted. However, in several of the governorates where we are currently running projects, we are witnessing concerning increases in the numbers of malnourished children attending our facilities coupled with medical complications. With the early onset of the malnutrition peak in 2022, high admissions have overwhelmed our facilities, and have necessitated in some locations, emergency interventions in an effort to manage the surge in acute malnutrition cases and related health complications.

Between January and October 2022, 7,597 children with malnutrition came to MSF facilities in Yemen for care, a 36 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2021.

There are many underlying causes for malnutrition in Yemen, yet, the reduced purchasing power, as a result of the deterioration of the economic situation and high inflation rates, and the struggle of families to afford the right quantity and nutritional quality of food for themselves and their children, compounded by both a general deterioration of healthcare services and their reduced ability to access the existing ones are among the main factors contributing to the increase in malnutrition, especially among children.