Eight years of devastating conflict have left some 11 million children in need of humanitarian assistance and many of their families facing severe malnutrition.
“The The lives of millions of vulnerable children in Yemen remain at risk “Due to the almost unimaginable, unbearable consequences of this brutal, never-ending war,” said Peter Hawkins, the agency’s representative in the country.
“UNICEF was here, providing much-needed support over the past eight years and before, but we can only provide so much support to affected children and families without lasting peace.”
Eternal cycle of hopelessness
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen dates back to 2015, when Houthi militias clashed with internationally recognized government forces, dividing the country, displacing millions and destroying buildings. essential services and infrastructure.
Although there is a permanent truce and recent progress along the road to peace, a The brutal convergence of the combined elements has unfolded: eight years of fierce conflict, economic collapse and a crippled social support system that denies vulnerable essential services.
From March 2015 to November 2022, more than 2.3 million children were displaced, 11,000 were killed or seriously injured, more than 4,000 have been recruited by warring parties, and there have been more than 900 attacks on – and illegal military uses – of educational and medical facilities. These are verified numbers, but the actual number is likely much higherUNICEF said.
“After eight years, many children and families feel trapped in a eternal cycle of hopelessness,” said Mr. Hawkins. “Visiting a family that has recently been displaced for more than seven years, you realize that for too many families, their circumstances have changed little but the faces of the children.
Children have grew up knowing little but conflictedIt is extremely important to give these children some room to hope for a peaceful future.”
A boy plays while his mother lines up at a watering point in a camp for displaced people in Aden, southern Yemen.
‘Hope, not fear’
UNICEF emergency claim 484 million USD to continue child-saving humanitarian work in Yemen into 2023. Without funding, UNICEF could be forced to scale back its vital assistance.
“The Yemeni children can look to the future with hope, not fear,” Mr. Hawkins said. “We call on all parties to help us deliver that hope by engaging the people of Yemen, and pulling a weary nation and population back from the brink.”
Reach millions of people in Yemen
Despite the ongoing challenges, by 2022 UNICEF has been able to:
- Treating more than 375,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in 4,584 primary health care facilities and 34 foster care centers.
- Emergency cash transfers for 9 million people.
- Provide access to safe and sustainable drinking water for 6.2 million people, including fuel to support clean water production and distribution to 36 local water and sanitation corporations in 15 provinces.
- Vaccination against measles and polio for more than 2.1 million children.
- Supporting psychosocial services for more than 478,000 children and carers in conflict-affected areas, and life-saving mine safety education for more than 5.2 million children and adults. community member.
- Reach more than 2.7 million people living in remote rural areas with access to public healthcare centers.
- Support maternal, newborn and child health care services at 24 hospitals.
- Scaling up malnutrition services at 4,500 permanent outpatient program centers and 288 mobile teams.
- Provide personalized learning materials to more than 538,800 children to help them stay in school.
