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Malnutrition in Yemen: an invisible crisis

2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 389; Issue: 10064 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(16)32592-2

1474-547X

Abdulaziz M. Eshaq, Ahmed M Fothan, Elyse C. Jensen, Tehreem A. Khan, Abdulhadi A. AlAmodi,

Health and Conflict Studies

The current war in Yemen has exacerbated the country's pre-existing challenges including poverty, poor health, and shortage of basic necessities such as water, fuel, and medications.1Alamodi AA Eshaq AM Fothan AM Bakather AM Obad AS Tackling preventable diseases in Yemen.Lancet. 2015; 386: 2251-2252Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (6) Google Scholar Severe malnutrition has emerged as a progressively spreading issue in Yemen. According to the World Food Program, even before the war started, Yemen had one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the Arabian Peninsula.2World Food ProgrammeYemen Emergency.https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/yemen/Google Scholar With the ongoing war, malnutrition is rising and hunger now affects almost half of the population. An estimated 14·4 million people, almost half of whom are severely affected, are unable to secure their food needs.3Action against Hunger OrganizationYemen Crisis.https://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/europe-middle-east/yemen-crisisGoogle Scholar According to UNICEF, a striking ten of Yemen's 22 governorates are on the edge of famine, as defined by the five point Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale.4UNICEFYemen Humanitarian Situation Report.http://www.unicef.org/mena/UNICEF_Yemen_Crisis_SitRep_-_8_July_to_21_July_2015.pdfGoogle Scholar Malnutrition in children is particularly serious and its effects intensified, putting children at greater risk of death than adults, if left untreated. About half of children in Yemen are affected by chronic malnutrition. According to organisations working to end hunger, about 370 000 of Yemen's children are suffering from severe malnutrition. Additionally, 1 million children younger than 5 years old are at risk of acute malnutrition—in Hodeida alone, more than 100 000 children under the age of five years are at risk of severe malnutrition.5Zeyad A Yemen's coast struggles with severe malnutrition as conflict drags.http://www.cbsnews.com/news/yemens-coast-struggles-with-severe-malnutrition-as-conflict-drags-on/Date: Sep 16, 2016Google Scholar According to UNICEF, 9·9 million children are in need of some form of nutrition assistance. The price of food has increased by 55% and the GDP has contracted by almost 33%. Moving safely and freely is impaired and access to clean water is a complicating barrier. An outbreak of watery diarrhoea that has caused much morbidity and mortality in Yemen was attributed to cholera. 31 cases of cholera and 32 deaths related to acute watery diarrhoea have been confirmed, according to UNICEF. Around 142 centres for the treatment of malnutrition are not operating.6UNICEFYemen Cholera Report #2.http://www.unicef.org/appeals/files/UNICEF_Yemen_Cholera_Outbreak_Situation_Report_24_Oct_2016.pdfGoogle Scholar A number of measures could be taken to enhance the productivity of current efforts to yield better outcomes (panel). The hunger crisis in Yemen is a growing problem that is often overlooked and forgotten. With the apparent outlined measures to be taken to prevent malnutrition, it cannot remain an invisible problem.PanelSuggested measures to enhance malnutrition programmes1)Expand the presence of humanitarian organisations to areas in most need, such as Hodeida2)The government should take responsibility to secure and ensure safe movement of such organisations to reach a greater number of those at increased risk of malnutrition3)Funding of these organisations is crucial to continue the pronounced reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with malnutrition4)The media should promote organisational efforts and activities5)Closed malnutrition treatment centres should be reopened6)Awareness should be increased about hygiene and sanitation to reduce outbreaks of diseases such as Cholera 1)Expand the presence of humanitarian organisations to areas in most need, such as Hodeida2)The government should take responsibility to secure and ensure safe movement of such organisations to reach a greater number of those at increased risk of malnutrition3)Funding of these organisations is crucial to continue the pronounced reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with malnutrition4)The media should promote organisational efforts and activities5)Closed malnutrition treatment centres should be reopened6)Awareness should be increased about hygiene and sanitation to reduce outbreaks of diseases such as Cholera