Life-saving nutritional support to affected children and women in Yemen The conflict in Yemen has escalated significantly since March 2015, affecting 20 out of Yemen’s 22 governorates and exacerbating pre-crisis humanitarian needs. Continued air strikes, shelling and ground fighting have resulted in the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, roads and bridges and a collapse of public services, particularly national health, water and sanitation services. Supplies of food, fuel and medicines are critically low and the lack of safe water and proper sanitation pose serious health risks to millions.

Prior to the crisis, the nutrition situation in Yemen was already dire, with a national general acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 16 per cent for children under 5 years of age, and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) at a 5.2 per cent . Data on micronutrient deficiencies is limited, however based on the 2014 Demographic Health Survey (DHS), approximately 68.3% of children 6-59 months suffer from anaemia, with approximately 15.5 suffering from severe anaemia.

The current conflict has further worsened the situation, threatening household food security as a result of widespread food shortages, rising food costs and plummeting YER/USD exchange rates. Approximately 3 million children between the ages of 6 and 59 months and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in need of nutrition services. Amongst these, roughly 1.3 million acutely malnourished children and 780,000 PLW will require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2016, with an additional 1 million infants at risk. 

Endorsed by Nutrition Cluster partners in January 2016, the Nutrition Cluster CMAM scale up plan outlines the collective effort to address lifesaving nutrition programmes including nutritional screening of the most vulnerable population groups (women and children; boys and girls), treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation, and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counseling.

This proposal addresses part of the current funding gaps, specifically pertaining to nutrition supplies, experienced by the Nutrition Cluster. These supplies are required to support the Nutrition Clusters Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Scale up Plan at a national level. Supplies will be provided on a need-base, to areas with highest need and/or priority. Thus, this project will address part of the supply needs at a national level.

UNICEF is the Cluster lead agency for nutrition, and provider of the last resort. UNICEF is currently the only provider of SAM nutrition supplies in country, for all nutrition cluster partners. Nutrition supplies are relatively expensive, and currently supply pipeline breaks are common due to funding shortfalls. As agreed by the Nutrition Cluster, and OCHA, this proposal will address nutrition supplies only. The supplies under this proposal will address the needs of 9,250 SAM cases 6-59 months.

Nutrition supplies will address the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition in children 6-59 months through the provision of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).  RUTF is the most essential commodity for the treatment of SAM cases that UNICEF is giving a priority making sure there is no shortage or discontinuation. Most recently all OTP site and working mobile clinics are well covered, and at the same time there is a quantity of 54,437 cartons are in the pipeline which is enough to treat only 60,400 against the needs for 178,558 SAM cases. Although, the set of commodities needed for treatment of SAM cases is not restricted to RUTF, the only item will be addressed by this proposal is RUTF at the same time UNICEF will assure the availability of other commodities including mainly the antibiotic, Amoxicillin, folic acid, vitamin A and deworming tablets.     
Nutrition programming in Yemen is committed to community-level action, promoting local capacity development, dialogue and partnership. This project will be implemented through Gover