Throughout the decade-long conflict in Yemen, malnutrition has been a devastating mainstay among children aged under 5 years.

WHO Representative to Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan described the current situation: “With increases in the incidence of measles and cholera in 2023, undernutrition has increased as a secondary impact.”

At WHO therapeutic feeding centres (TFCs), admissions for severe acute malnutrition with medical complications have almost doubled in recent years, from 32 000 in 2020 to 62 000 in 2023. This increase also reflects the increased accessibility of services by communities, owing to WHO’s awareness, advocacy and supportive supervision to improve quality of care for communities.