Severe malnutrition is spreading rapidly in government-controlled areas of Yemen, with the most serious cases appearing in areas on the Red Sea coast, UN food security experts said in a report released Sunday.
The war in Yemen between the government and the Houthis has been in a state of stalemate for years, causing an economic collapse in a country where poverty is already widespread, while the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is among the worst in the world.
Malnutrition has been exacerbated by the combined impact of diseases such as cholera and measles, shortages of nutritious food and drinking water, and broader economic deterioration, a report by the UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Technical Committee in Yemen said.
The report said the number of children under five in Yemen suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting has increased by 34% compared to the previous year in government-controlled areas. This equates to about 600,000 children, of whom 120,000 are suffering from acute malnutrition.
He added that a “very critical level” of acute malnutrition was detected for the first time in the lowlands of southern Al Hudaydah governorate, including in Al Khawkhah and Hays districts on the Red Sea coast, as well as Al Mokha district in the lowlands of Taiz governorate between November 2023 and June 2024.
The report did not mention whether there were any recent deaths resulting from severe hunger or the nature of conditions in the Houthi-controlled areas of the country.