- Title: YEMEN-MALNUTRITION In Yemen, malnutrition affects many young lives
- Date: 31st August 2015
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (AUGUST 26, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING TOWARD AL-OLFI MEDICAL CENTRE BANNER READING (Arabic): "AL-OLFI MEDICAL CENTRE FOR MATERNITY, CHILDCARE, AND FAMILY PLANNING" VARIOUS OF WOMEN CARRYING BABIES WALKING INTO THE CENTRE WOMEN AND CHILDREN INSIDE THE CLINIC BANNER READING (Arabic): "CHILD CLINIC NUMBER 2" VARIOUS OF DOCTOR EXAMINING BABIES AND CHILDREN VARIOUS OF CHILD BEING EXAMINED (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) PAEDIATRICIAN, MOHAMMED SHUJA'A ELDEEN, SAYING: "Malnutrition was widespread in Yemen before but in the recent period because of the siege, airstrikes, and the situation that the country has been experiencing, caused a large increase. If in the past it was approximately 30 percent of children before the crisis, now it is more than 50- 60 percent." MAN IN FRONT OF CLINIC ROOM VARIOUS OF DOCTOR EXAMINING CHILDREN DOCTOR TALKING TO FATHER HOLDING CHILD AND PROVIDING VITAMINS DOCTOR TALKING TO MOTHER HOLDING CHILD AND PROVIDING VITAMINS VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AT THE CLINIC DOCTOR TALKING TO CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PAEDIATRICIAN, NAJIBAH ALI AL-GHASAL, SAYING: "We are facing famine with our children. We can't be patient with this. We call on the United Nations to look at the children who are innocent and shouldn't be experiencing malnutrition like this, their fear, and the anxiety we are facing." MAN RECEIVING SUPPLIES MAN LEAVING THE CLINIC VARIOUS OF FAMILIES LEAVING THE CLINIC VARIOUS OF SANAA STREETS
- Embargoed: 15th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Yemen
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4L4CYMWPTEP2QRLD1E7CKXLTX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: At the al-Olfi medical centre in downtown Sanaa, doctors examine dozens of small patients every day.
The babies and children are being screened for malnutrition, a growing problem in Yemen.
Even before the war, Yemen had one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world, according to the World Food Programme.
Around half of all children under five are stunted; too short for their age as a result of malnutrition.
When the war began in March, between the country's Houthi movement and an exiled government backed by Gulf Arab states, hundreds of foreign, mostly Asian, medical staff members, were evacuated to their countries, leaving their jobs in Yemeni hospitals.
The conflict has severely disrupted healthcare facilities.
Paediatrician Mohammed Shuja'a Eldeen said he had seen a huge increase in the number of malnutrition cases in recent weeks.
"Malnutrition was widespread in Yemen before but in the recent period because of the siege, air strikes, and the situation that the country has been experiencing, caused a large increase. If in the past it was approximately 30 percent of children before the crisis, now it is more than 50- 60 percent," Eldeen said.
Some doctors, like Najibah Ali al-Ghasal, appealed to international agencies for help.
"We are facing a famine with our children. We can't be patient with this. We call on the United Nations to look at the children who are innocent and shouldn't be experiencing a malnutrition like this, their fear, and the anxiety we are facing," Ghasal said.
Yemen normally imports almost 90 percent of its basic food from abroad. The U.N. emergency food agency said on July 30 that the impact of traders being unable to import enough food and safely move it inside the country has led to a severe rise in prices, increasing the suffering of the poorest and most vulnerable.
The U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on July 10 it was stepping up screening for malnutrition, vaccinations and other life-saving interventions for millions of Yemeni children caught up in the crisis.
More than 16,000 children have been treated for severe malnutrition and 1.3 million children in the country are at risk of malnutrition, it said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None