News / Reports

Health officials report 4 million cases of malnutrition in Yemen

Wednesday, 14 December 2022 7:20 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 14 December 2022 7:20 AM ]

Yousef Mawry
Press TV, Sana'a

Hundreds of thousands of children in Yemen could die from starvation and preventable diseases such as cholera and measles and child malnutrition.

We visited the Sabeen Hospital in the capital Sana'a which receives some of the worst cases of child malnutrition in the country. At this hospital, we got a first-hand look at what starvation looks like.

Shamah is fighting to stay alive. However, her body just does not have the nourishment needed to help her breathe normally according to her doctor. Her family also does not have the financial means to give her the proper treatment and nutrients needed.

Next door is another severely malnourished child. Little Eilaf has developed a disorder called Pectus Carinatum which causes the chest bone to grow outward.

Yemen's Ministry of Health says that Yemen has the highest number of malnutrition cases in the world due to the Saudi war and blockade that has crippled the nation's healthcare system.

There are about four million Yemeni children and mothers who suffer from malnutrition according to our latest statistics. Half a million of these cases are severely malnourished and 50,000 of these cases are in risk of dying.

Although the Saudi airstrikes have led to the death of tens of thousands of Yemenis, the number one killer in Yemen according to the health ministry is the strangling Saudi blockade which has prevented import of vital food, fuel and drugs to Yemen, leading to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

UN agencies warn that one in five Yemeni children under the age of five are malnourished and in urgent need of care. Medical experts we spoke to also say Yemeni families are unable to sustain a healthy nutritional diet for their children. That is because the families do not receive salaries due to Saudi restrictions.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk