The fighting in Yemen has continued unabated for more than a year and a half with nearly 80 per cent of the entire population which includes 10 million children in dire need of life saving assistance. If you were to look closely at the conflict you would see the true impact of the war on the country’s children. Whilst images of children that are starving show a single dimension of the horrors facing children and their families in Yemen, the situation is worsened by the extremely poor economic situation the families face.
Health care system dysfunctional
Another aspect of the conflict is the fact the most of Yemen’s health care facilities are not functioning or do not have adequate staff. There are millions of people who are in danger but do not have access to the medical treatment necessary for survival. On top of all that, there has been an outbreak of cholera which is placing additional pressure on a health care system that is already extremely stressed. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have died, half of which were children under the age of 15.
Aid is being delivered
In the last few week Unicef and its partners have managed to reach out to as many as 10,000 communities across Yemen using as many as 34,000 health care workers and 10,000 vehicles as well as other means of transportation. With that equipment, the aid agency has managed to reach children in the most remote parts of the country and has screened close to half a million children under the age of 5 for malnutrition. Unicef has treated almost 23,000 children for severe acute malnutrition.
Unicef needs your help
Unicef’s efforts come at a critical moment as the conflict in Yemen has left the health and nutrition system in shambles placing the lives of millions of women and children at risk. Whilst there has been progress, money is running out. Unicef is appealing for £125 million to reach people that are in desperate need of life saving food and supplies in the country. Unicef needs an additional £11 million to meet the needs of people suffering from cholera.
The situation in Yemen for children and their families is deteriorating right before our very eyes. We need to do everything we can to help them, even though their future seems well beyond their control. Please make a donation to Unicef’s appeal for Yemen’s children. They must not be allowed to go hungry.
