Yemen Monitor/Sana’a/Newsroom:
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped providing support for the treatment of malnutrition cases in areas controlled by the Houthi group in Yemen, according to a report by the UN agency on Monday.
In a report on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, the WFP explained that the necessary supplies to continue its program for treating moderate acute malnutrition cases have completely run out after this April in the densely populated areas under Houthi control.
The report stated that the program has been significantly reduced due to limited funding, leading the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to take over the responsibility of covering high-risk moderate acute malnutrition cases in priority districts, which the WFP previously handled.
The program has been facing significant financial challenges since the US, its largest donor, announced a temporary 90-day suspension of foreign aid last January, according to the report.
Since 2015, the WFP has provided assistance to Yemen with the aim of preventing famine, relying on support from institutions and countries, primarily the US.
The matter will not be limited to Houthi-controlled areas only, as the report indicated that the WFP itself will also face a severe shortage of supplies and funding starting next August in areas within the influence of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, according to Reuters.
It said that the continued severe funding shortages have forced it to drastically reduce its activities in the country, “with the malnutrition prevention program being implemented at reduced levels, affecting approximately 654,000 children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and girls, equivalent to 80 percent of those targeted in the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan.”
It added that its operations in Yemen continue to suffer from a significant funding gap, having received only 20 percent of the total funding requirements of $564 million for the period from May to October.
Recent UNICEF data indicates that about 80% of Yemenis need assistance and that “one in two children under the age of five is currently suffering from acute malnutrition,” including “more than 540,000 under the age of five suffering from severe acute malnutrition,” in addition to 1.4 million pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The United Nations says that more than 80% of the population of Yemen, which is suffering from the “world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” needs assistance, and millions are on the brink of widespread famine amid a collapsing economy and dwindling foreign currency reserves.
