Provide a package of integrated lifesaving / preventive nutrition and health interventions for children and women in need in 111 districts from 14 governorates in Yemen The conflict in Yemen has escalated significantly since March 2015, affecting 20 out of 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 have forced national services to the verge of collapse, 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 is putting millions at risk.

Approximately three million children between the ages of 6 and 59 months, and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) are in need of nutrition services. Among these, roughly 1.5 million acutely malnourished children and 822,745 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 Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Scale up Plan outlines the collective effort to address lifesaving nutrition programmes including nutritional screening of the most vulnerable population groups, treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation, and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counselling.

This proposal addresses part of the current needs. Over 900,000 people living in 111 districts of 14 prioritized governorates will benefit from health and nutrition services provided at health facilities and via mobile teams. The project will have a duration of 12 months and its part of UNICEF’s Health amp Nutrition integrated approach in Yemen. YHPF resources will be critical to support the scaling up of CMAM services at health facility and at community level, through the establishment of new Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTPs), supporting inpatient care centres for SAM children with complications, establishing mobile teams, strengthening the quality of service delivery, procuring and delivering nutrition supplies. Supplies will be provided on a need-base to areas with the highest needs. Prevention of acute malnutrition will be supported through provision of micronutrient supplementation for children from 6 to 24 months and pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) as well as strengthening and scaling up IYCF counselling. 

Health services offered will include integrated management of childhood illness, vaccination, reproductive health care and counselling on basic health education messages. Furthermore, UNICEF will contribute to build capacity at the local level, providing health workers with knowledge on maternal and newborn health (MNH) and Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI). In view of the diminished capacities of the national health system, the YHPF contribution will also allow UNICEF to support minimum operational costs to ensure the functioning of Expanded programme on immunization (EPI) sites, and the transportation of vaccines from EPI stores to districts.

In addition, in coordination with UNICEF’s Child Protection programmes and through the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on Grave Violations Against Children in situations of Armed Conflict (MRM), monitors across the targeted governorates will identify cases of children under the coverage of MRM in need of health care. Identified children and their caregivers will be provided with transportation and accommodation to ensure they have access to the nearest medical service.  

Health and Nutrition programming in Yemen is committed to community-level action, promoting local capacity development, dialogue and partnership. This project will be implemented through partnerships with government, local and international NGOs.