As Yemen marks 9 years of war, one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises has only worsened. Malnutrition, especially, is spiralling in the country. A critical issue not helped by the recent cuts to humanitarian aid, affecting millions of lives.

Islamic Relief is on the ground, working in 159 nutrition centres across Yemen. Over the past few months, our teams observed a surge in malnourished children. The price of essential food in the market is also rapidly rising, leaving many families unable to afford it.

The Impact of Aid Cuts

Since December, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has paused its general food distributions in northern Yemen, which has been a lifeline for 9.5 million people. In addition, the WFP malnutrition prevention programme is facing a significant shortage of supplies which is affecting critical services.

In January 2024, more than half of UN-surveyed households in Yemen were unable to access adequate food. This represented an increase of 11% from November 2023.

After 9 years of war, malnutrition rates in Yemen are some of the highest ever recorded and are expected to worsen. 17.6 million people in the country are facing food insecurity. Nearly half of all its children are currently estimated to be experiencing moderate to severe stunting. Almost 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. Around 2.7 million women and 5 million children under 5 years old are estimated to require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2024.

Ammar Al-Dumini, Senior media and communications officer with Islamic Relief in Yemen, said:

“The impact of aid cuts to Yemen over the last few months are now clearly being felt and we see this impact in the appalling levels of hunger and malnutrition. These are some of the highest levels the country has ever seen. After 9 years of civil war, the economy is in crisis and inflation is out of control. People have lost their livelihoods and can’t afford to buy enough food. Yemen is one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world but it has been largely forgotten.”

“Aid has been vital in preventing Yemen falling into famine in recent years, and it saved countless lives. But if the international community continues to overlook the humanitarian situation in Yemen then we will see conditions badly deteriorate again.”

Islamic Relief on the ground in Yemen

Islamic Relief, which works in 14 out of 22 governates across the country. We urgently appeal to the international community to ensure the humanitarian response in Yemen is appropriately funded.

In addition to providing food, cash, vocational training, and income support, Islamic Relief is on the ground ensuring that vulnerable Yemenis have access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene kits. We also work in 159 health and nutrition centres across the country, supporting 77,719 children under five and 91,879 pregnant and lactating women who are admitted for treatment to regain a healthy weight.