UNICEF Representative Warns of 'Future Crisis' in Yemen: 48% of Children Suffer from Stunting

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Yemen, warned of the worsening malnutrition crisis among children, especially with the ongoing conflict and economic collapse, noting that acute malnutrition rates have exceeded 30% in some areas, while 48% of children suffer from stunting, which hinders their physical and cognitive growth. He warned of what he described as a "future crisis" that he said threatens Yemen.

In an interview with the UN News website, Hawkins explained that UNICEF is working to provide urgent humanitarian aid, such as food and clean water, to affected children and families, especially in areas that have recently witnessed devastating floods, pointing to UNICEF's efforts to combat diseases and provide vaccines, in addition to supporting education and rehabilitating damaged schools.

He stressed that the radical solution lies in achieving peace and stability in Yemen, and enabling children to access education and other basic services. He called on the international community to intensify investment in the humanitarian response and work to end the conflict.

Dialogue text:

Children in Yemen are suffering from a sharp rise in malnutrition rates, especially in government-controlled areas. What factors are causing this?

• I think there are three factors that lead to malnutrition, which is prevalent throughout Yemen. The first is the conflict and its consequences. The second is the economic collapse that has been happening over the past eight years. But the third and very important factor, I think, is social division.

People have been on the move and their traditional livelihoods have been disrupted. And what we saw, for example, in our recent survey in the southwest of the country, in southern Hodeidah, is an almost complete collapse of the water system in two areas.

Wells have dried up or become salty, pipes have broken and not been repaired. There is a severe water scarcity at this point. Besides the fact that if you go there now, all you will see is water. There are floods everywhere.

The water is coming down from the mountains to the plains on the west coast and it's flooding everywhere. That, coupled with the fact that we have severe malnutrition. 48 percent of children are stunted. That means they have micronutrient deficiencies that prevent them from growing physically and cognitively. So they are very vulnerable. We have been able to keep the population alive for the past nine years.

And what we've seen is that the situation has gradually gotten worse year after year, over the last two or three years, and it's starting to peak. We're seeing acute malnutrition levels of over 30 percent of the population, which is some of the worst I've seen. And the lean season has exacerbated that.

We are now in the lean season, which runs from July to November, and we expect malnutrition to increase dramatically. We have pre-positioned humanitarian aid, we have worked on water systems, and we hope that during this time period we can prevent another disaster. But next year, we will have to do it again, and we will have to avoid another disaster.

Speaking of floods, thousands of people have been affected by the recent floods in Yemen. What is UNICEF doing to help affected children and their families?

• There are three things. The first is immediate assistance, which is immediate relief, within the first 72 hours, providing food, hygiene kits, dignity kits. 3,500 families received these kits, which enabled them to go about their lives.

Yemen is a country full of mountains, and the water comes down through the valleys. People in Yemen usually live in the mountainous areas, but because of the restrictions and the problems of social division and the movement of people, they started living in the lowlands along the coast. So when the floods happen, their homes are submerged, their livelihoods are destroyed and it affects them greatly. So we try to provide them with water, money, shelter and other materials that allow people to resume their lives. But what needs to happen is that they need to move to the mountains away from the plains.

Childhood diseases, along with cholera and measles outbreaks, continue to affect Yemeni children. Tell us about UNICEF’s efforts to address these issues?

• Vaccinating children is a key part of our response. We have been able to do two vaccination campaigns, across 12 governorates, this year, which has allowed us to reach, for example, a high level of measles vaccination coverage, above 80 percent, that is, herd immunity. It is difficult to do these campaigns. We are looking to expand the primary health care system, across the country.

We now work in 3,200 primary health care clinics across the country, where vaccination is one of the most important aspects. Communication from those centers to communities is always very difficult. The terrain is harsh, and access to traditional communities that are not very aware of the importance of vaccination is becoming more restricted.

More than 4.5 million children are out of school, and 1.3 million displaced children are suffering from overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers. Tell us about UNICEF's efforts to support Yemeni children in this context?

• Yes, it is a disaster, 4.5 million children out of school, but it also hides the fact that these children in school are in schools that suffer from a lack of resources, capacity and poor levels of pupil-teacher ratios, especially female teachers.

UNICEF is trying to rehabilitate 1,116 schools across the country. We should be done by the end of this year. We have been paying volunteer teachers, both male and female, across the country. I think the number is around 3,800 teachers.

But all this is not enough, there are problems of access to school, and the quality of education that children will receive there, which is why we have this astronomical figure of 4.5 million children out of school. This will have dire consequences for future generations. The cost of not having an educated next generation, especially in literacy and numeracy, will have a huge impact on the future development of the country.

But I think the biggest impact is on these children themselves. Their right to education has been compromised. UNICEF, UNESCO and other organizations, along with education ministries across the country, are trying to do their best. But it is not enough.

There is a future crisis in Yemen unfolding now, and we need to do more to ensure that children can learn, become educated, and be able to contribute positively to the future of this country.

What do you hear from these children you meet in Yemen? Do you have any stories or testimonies from them that you would like to share with us?

• Our mission is to ensure that the humanitarian imperative is met so that children have access to health care and that their nutritional status is not compromised. That is what drives us forward. We are negotiating and working closely with the authorities here in Sana’a and the internationally recognized government in Aden to ensure that we are able to do this work. It is not easy, but I firmly believe that what we are trying to do is valuable and that women, girls and boys in Yemen are in a better position today than they were a few years ago.

  If we are given the right level of access and the right level of resources, we will be able to ensure that women, girls and boys can move forward in the coming years.

  Finally, children continue to pay a heavy price in conflicts, despite laws in place to protect them. What action is needed from the international community and stakeholders to effectively address this issue?

  • Women, girls and boys are disproportionately affected by the conflict. First, the Yemen peace agreement must deliver on the promise that the international community supports both Sana’a and Aden in their negotiations to bring sustainable peace to the country. Second, there must be continued investment, not just in humanitarian response, to realize the potential of the people of the country.

  Then thirdly, trying to reduce the potential for further conflict and ensuring that the authorities and the internationally recognised government are held accountable for their actions and responsibility in terms of supporting the UN and international NGOs by ensuring the safety and security of their staff so that they can continue to provide much-needed assistance in this country.

  Source: UN News