UNICEF Launches Groundbreaking Nutrition Initiative to Accelerate Undernutrition Reduction in Yemen

11 May 2025, Aden, Yemen 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with national and international partners, is proud to announce the launch of the “Accelerated Actions toward the Prevention of Undernutrition” programme in Yemen.

With funding from the German Federal Government through KfW Development Bank, this landmark initiative aims to reduce the alarming rates of undernutrition among women, girls and boys through an integrated, multisectoral approach focused on prevention.

Undernutrition remains one of Yemen’s most urgent and persistent public health challenges, exacerbated by years of conflict, economic collapse, and limited access to essential services. Approximately 2.4 million children under the age of five and 1.5 million pregnant and lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition in Yemen, placing them at greater risk of illness, developmental delays, and death, while nearly 50% (about 2.6 million) of Yemeni children under the age of five are stunted, an irreversible form of undernutrition which affect cognitive development school performance, adult productivity and economic development of Yemen.

To address this crisis, UNICEF and its partners have designed a comprehensive programme that targets 32 high-priority districts across 12 governorates. The initiative will strengthen the delivery of preventive nutrition services through improved community-based systems, focusing on early childhood nutrition, maternal health, safe water and sanitation, food security, and social behavior change communication.

“This initiative is a major step forward in our collective effort to not only treat but more importantly prevent undernutrition in Yemen,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative to Yemen. “By working together with the Government of Yemen, civil society, and international donors, we aim to build resilient systems and empower communities to secure a healthier future for children and mothers,” added Mr. Hawkins.

Key components of the programme include:

• Strengthening community-based platforms to deliver essential nutrition services.
• Promoting optimal infant and young child feeding practices.
• Enhancing coordination across sectors such as health, WASH, food security, and education.
• Increasing access to micronutrient supplementation and preventive health services.
• Supporting national and sub-national capacity building for sustainable impact.

The programme launch will be marked by a two-day technical workshop in Aden, convening key stakeholders to align strategies, roles, and implementation plans. Participants will include representatives from government ministries, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and donor partners.

UNICEF calls on all partners and stakeholders to support and invest in the prevention of undernutrition in Yemen. Collective action today can save lives and pave the way for a generation of children to grow, learn, and thrive.

Media contacts

Kamal Al-Wazizah

Communications Specialist

UNICEF Yemen

Tel: +967 712 223 068

Email: kalwazizah@unicef.org

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF Yemen and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org/yemen