McMaster Friends of MSF

Written By: Sydney Tomlinson

Yemen, located at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, is undergoing one of the largest humanitarian crises in modern history.¹ The crisis, which began in 2011, is deeply rooted in a web of political, economic, and social factors that have escalated into an all-out armed conflict, leaving millions of Yemenis in desperate need of aid.²

The toll on the civilian population has been staggering. In total, 17 million people in Yemen are food insecure, including 2 million children experiencing acute malnutrition.⁵ Over 538,000 of these children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a fatal condition if not treated promptly.⁶ Throughout 2022, 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women required treatment for acute malnutrition.⁵ 

Economic collapse has rendered nutritious food unaffordable for many Yemeni families. The economic crisis has led to skyrocketing prices, lack of paid work, loss of homes and livelihoods, and increasing costs of food transportation, severely limiting access to quality food.³  This poses a continuous threat to children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable individuals.^4,5

The consequences of malnutrition are severe, leading to long-lasting impacts on health and well-being. It can cause stunted physical development, resulting in shorter height, lower weight, and delayed maturation.⁷ Additionally, it can lead to cognitive deficits that affect intellectual functioning, memory, and overall mental acuity.⁸ All in all, malnutrition—a largely preventable condition—is responsible for millions of lives lost in Yemen.

Malnutrition’s consequences are severe and long-lasting, causing stunted physical development, delayed maturation, and cognitive deficits that impact intellectual functioning, memory, and mental acuity.^7,8 Tragically, malnutrition—a largely preventable condition—continues to claim millions of lives in Yemen.

The vast majority of families depend on humanitarian aid for survival. In 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams worked in 12 hospitals and provided support to 16 health facilities across 13 governorates, including Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, Saada, and Amran.^3,9 For instance, at the Abs General Hospital in Hajjah governorate, MSF’s Integrated Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) provided medical care and nutritional support to 2,944 malnourished children in 2022.⁹

The crisis in Yemen is taking an alarming toll on the civilian population, with millions in desperate need of assistance. MSF has been a steadfast source of support since 2007, working tirelessly to address the nutritional needs of those impacted by this devastating crisis.⁹ Their efforts, however, are limited by resource constraints and funding cuts, which hinder their ability to fully address the vast needs of the population.

References

1. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Yemen crisis update: August 2023. Doctors Without Borders – USA. August 16, 2023. Accessed February 27, 2024. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/yemen-crisis-update-august-2023.
2. BBC. Yemen crisis: Why is there a war? BBC News. Published March 22, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423.
3. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Five reasons why acute child malnutrition is surging in Yemen. Doctors Without Borders – USA. Published December 8, 2022. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/five-reasons-why-acute-child-malnutrition-surging-yemen 
4. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Yemen. Doctors Without Borders – USA. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/yemen
5. World Food Programme. Yemen emergency | World Food Programme. Wfp.org. Published August 20, 2020. https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/yemen-emergency#:~:text=Malnutrition%20rates%20among%20women%20and 
6. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Yemen: 17 million people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2.2 million children acutely malnourished due to conflict, economic shocks & lack of humanitarian assistance | IPC Global Platform. http://www.ipcinfo.org. Published 2022. https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-58/en/ 
7. World Health Organization. Malnutrition. WHO. Published December 20, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition 
8. Roger K, Vannasing P, Tremblay J, et al. Impact of Early Childhood Malnutrition on Adult Brain Function: An Evoked-Related Potentials Study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2022;16. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.884251 
9. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Yemen: Abs hospital overwhelmed as medical needs surge | MSF. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International. Published March 9, 2023. https://www.msf.org/yemen-abs-hospital-overwhelmed-medical-needs-surge