Famine Threatens Yemeni Districts as Child Hunger Escalates

Famine is expected in four Yemeni districts, Mawza and Mocha in Taiz province, and Hays and Khawkhah in Hodeida province, due to increasing hunger among children in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, according to a report by international experts. All 117 districts in these government-controlled areas are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. The report found that more than 18,500 children under five are projected to be severely malnourished by the end of this year, and about 223,000 pregnant and lactating women are predicted to be malnourished in 2024.

The rise in malnutrition is attributed to a combination of factors, including cholera and measles outbreaks, high food insecurity, limited access to safe drinking water, economic decline, and inadequate humanitarian aid. Approximately half of Yemen's population, or 18.2 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid this year. The ongoing conflict, which began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, has exacerbated the crisis, leading to significant loss of life and widespread displacement.