Urgent Humanitarian Crisis: Severe Acute Malnutrition Among Children in Amran Due to Houthi Violations
- Severe acute malnutrition cases among children in Amran have surged by 48% this year.
- Dwindling humanitarian funding has led to the closure of vital nutrition centers in the region.
- Houthi violations against humanitarian organizations have exacerbated the ongoing crisis in Amran.
- Children in Amran face harsh conditions, including food shortages and lack of healthcare services.
Severe Malnutrition Threatens Children in Amran
The Amran Governorate, currently under Houthi control, is confronting a distressing rise in severe acute malnutrition among children. This escalating crisis is occurring alongside a significant reduction in humanitarian funding and the closure of vital nutrition centers, putting thousands of children’s lives at risk. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has issued an urgent call for intervention to save these vulnerable lives.
Unprecedented Surge in Malnutrition Cases
Recent reports from Médecins Sans Frontières indicate that Al-Salam Hospital in the Khameer District of Amran admitted 599 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with serious complications between January and April 2026. This represents a staggering 48% increase compared to the same timeframe in the previous year, as highlighted in a brief announcement on the platform “X.” The month of April alone saw a dramatic rise in admissions, with 247 children treated compared to just 163 in April 2025, reflecting a widespread and alarming outbreak of malnutrition in the region.
Funding Collapse and Closure of Nutrition Centers
The organization emphasizes that the decline in humanitarian funding for Yemen has resulted in the closure of numerous therapeutic nutrition sites, leaving thousands of children without urgent medical care. Médecins Sans Frontières warns that if this trend continues, the lives of children will remain jeopardized, particularly amid worsening economic conditions, rising poverty rates, and increasing food insecurity.
Houthi Violations Exacerbate the Humanitarian Crisis
The situation is further aggravated by Houthi violations against UN and humanitarian organizations. Over the past year, the militia has stormed UN offices and international aid organizations, seizing and looting their resources. Additionally, more than 70 aid workers have reportedly been kidnapped or have disappeared amid these hostilities, and restrictions on the movement of humanitarian staff and programs have been imposed.
These violations have compelled many organizations to suspend or scale back their operations, including crucial initiatives aimed at combating malnutrition, thus intensifying the humanitarian crisis facing children in Amran.
Children Without Protection in Harsh Conditions
Amran is recognized as one of the most severely affected governorates, where residents endure dire living conditions. Children are particularly vulnerable, suffering from food shortages, inadequate healthcare, and the spread of infectious diseases, all compounded by a complete lack of basic services. UN reports indicate that malnutrition in Yemen has escalated into one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, with hundreds of thousands of children urgently requiring treatment.
The data from Médecins Sans Frontières presents a grim overview of the health crisis in Houthi-controlled areas, where the decline in humanitarian funding intersects with Houthi violations, posing a direct threat to the lives of thousands of children. There is an immediate need for international intervention to reactivate nutrition programs and ensure unhindered access to aid, thereby protecting children from an increasingly perilous humanitarian disaster.
For more information, visit Yemen TV.
