Millions of children at risk of malnutrition in conflict-hit Yemen if funds not allocated, warns UNICEF
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that millions of children face an increased risk of malnutrition in Yemen if funds are not urgently allocated to the conflict-plagued West Asian country, where one child dies every ten minutes.
The UN children's agency said in a statement on Friday that among the 11 million children in need of humanitarian assistance in war-torn Yemen, “more than 540,000 children under the age of five suffer from severe, life-threatening acute malnutrition.”
“And a child dies (on average) every ten minutes from preventable causes,” it added.
The organization said it “urgently needs $484 million” in 2023 to continue its intervention in this country, the poorest on the Arabian Peninsula, devastated by more than eight years of war.
“Without urgent action, millions of children could face heightened risks of malnutrition,” the UN agency warned.
“If the funds do not arrive, UNICEF could be forced to reduce its vital assistance to vulnerable children,” it insisted.
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