Escalating Conflict in Yemen Displaces 71,000 Children and Triggers Severe Malnutrition Crisis, UNICEF Warns

Intense fighting in Yemen has forced the displacement of approximately 71,000 children over the past three weeks, severely disrupting access to healthcare and treatment centers and driving a sharp rise in acute malnutrition. Akhil Iyer, Yemen’s UNICEF country representative, reported from Geneva on Friday that escalating violence is trapping an increasing number of children in hunger and hardship.

The 71,000 displaced children are part of nearly 130,000 people uprooted across Yemen during this three-week period, with the majority fleeing from or within the southwestern governorate of Taiz. Speaking via videolink from Aden, Iyer stated that conflict and hunger are deeply intertwined, leaving children dangerously vulnerable. UNICEF mobile teams recently screened nearly 2,900 children in accessible areas, finding that over a quarter were acutely malnourished, including 200 classified with severe acute malnutrition.

These figures represent only a fraction of the broader crisis. UNICEF projects that 2.2 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition this year, with more than half a million facing severe acute malnutrition. Furthermore, UNICEF has verified that at least 15 children have been killed, 14 injured, and three left missing since early September.

The civil war between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Houthis has intensified following the breakdown of a 2022 truce. Recent Houthi offensives have resulted in significant territorial gains, including the capture of the strategic port city of Mocha, almost the entire Red Sea coast, and key islands. These advances strengthen control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital maritime passage currently utilized by Saudi Arabia for oil shipments after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

As battles escalate toward Yemen’s highlands, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly, forcing tens of thousands to flee south along the Red Sea coast, with many crossing the sea toward Africa. The conflict has also severely impacted education, causing 243 schools to close or suspend classes over the past three weeks and disrupting the studies of nearly 140,000 students. Urging all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, Iyer called for the protection of children and civilian infrastructure alongside secure, unimpeded humanitarian access.