Ministries, UN discuss coordinated response efforts to the worsening nutrition situation in Ta’iz and Al Hodeidah [EN/AR]

27 November 2024—The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) and the United Nations humanitarian agencies held a senior-level technical meeting on Wednesday to discuss the critical malnutrition situation in Al Makha, Dhubab, Mawza, Al Wazi'iyah, Hays, and Al Khukha districts of Ta’iz and Al Hodeidah governorates and plans to scale-up multi-sectoral response efforts there. Across these six districts, there are a staggering 23,346 and 40,561 cases of children under five estimated to have severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), respectively, and an estimated 13,901 cases of pregnant and breastfeeding women facing acute malnutrition.

The meeting, which was co-chaired by the MOPIC and UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Dr. Iman Shankiti, brought together representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Public Health and Population, along with regional authorities and entities and UN Agencies, including sub-national representatives and the sectoral lead agencies of WASH (UNICEF), Nutrition (UNICEF),
Health (WHO), Food Security and Agriculture (FAO), Protection (UNHCR) and Shelter (UNHCR).

A coordinated response plan has been developed by the United Nations and authorities to reduce the deteriorating nutrition situation in districts along the west coast of Yemen. The plan prioritises integrated, multisectoral interventions focused on both preventing and curing malnutrition. The plan also emphasizes enhanced monitoring systems to detect and refer proper treatment of undernutrition cases. The plan requires US $8,730,000 to operationalize.

Along with mobilization of the response plan, participants discussed the need to find lasting solutions to these challenges.

“The malnutrition rates we are seeing on the west coast of Yemen are a wake-up call – and are threatening the lives of the most vulnerable children and new mothers,” Dr. Iman Shankiti said. “Today’s meeting was an important step forward to scaling up our collective response efforts – including humanitarian organizations, development partners and the authorities – to save lives and address the root causes of malnutrition, alongside wider humanitarian needs.” A recent analysis conducted in the South of Yemen found three districts experiencing “extremely critical acute malnutrition” levels—the worst level under the IPC Acute Malnutrition classification (IPC AMN)— during the period of November 2023 to June 2024. This is the first time this severe level, IPC AMN phase 5, has been reported and applies to areas where the prevalence of acute malnutrition exceeds 30 per cent and morbidity levels are elevated. IPC AMN phase 5 is projected to expand to a fourth district in the west coast of Yemen during the period of July to October 2024.

For further information, please contact:

Ibrahim Al Haddad Head of Information, Analysis and Communication Unit (IACU)

E-mail: haddad17@un.org Mobile: 712222822 - 780480546