Almotamar.net - The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) will provide assistance over the next year to 70,000 severely malnourished children in Yemen under the age of five.
Chronic malnutrition has been a long standing challenge in Yemen due to a combination of under development, conflict and political instability. The rate of stunted growth among children is 50% with critical implications for a child's physical and cognitive development, a press release issued by UNICEF said.
By 2014 an estimated 1,060,000 children under five are expected to be acutely malnourished and approximately 280,000 severely acutely malnourished. These children are at high risk of death.
"To be able to reach all those at risk we call on other donors to join us in addressing this forgotten crisis and make a difference," said Hervé Delphin, ECHO Head of Unit for European Neighbourhood, Middle East, Central and South-Western Asia. Over the last two years, ECHO has contributed to reach some 350,000 severely malnourished children with immediate and life-saving interventions and established over 1600 outpatient therapeutic feeding centres, from a mere 300 in 2011.
"The additional support announced today will make a vital difference in consolidating the gains made in tackling acute malnutrition over the last two years and further scale up our efforts in reaching every child" says UNICEF Acting Representative, Jeremy Hopkins. "Keeping the momentum will require sustained funding and a multi-sectoral approach, including but not limited to access to safe water, hygiene promotion and girls education," Hopkins emphasized.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, UNICEF, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), is ensuring a coordinated response to address severe and moderate acute malnutrition, especially in areas of greatest need.
The funds released today will also support the training of health workers in Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and integrated management of childhood illnesses; as well as the rehabilitation and extension of water and sanitation facilities in 100 nutrition facilities in the targeted governorates.
These interventions specifically target the governorates of Al Hodeida, Hajjah, Aden, Lahj and Taiz which have the highest levels of acute malnutrition in Yemen, above the global emergency threshold of fifteen per cent.
The United Arab Emirates acknowledged on Tuesday that two of its pilots were killed when their military aggression plane crashed over Jawf province, a military official said
The official added that the aggressive crashed plane was an apache that was
Artillery of the army and popular shelled a gathering of Saudi-paid mercenaries in al-Moqadra area in Serwah district of Marib province, a military official said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, dozens of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed and others injured in Wadi al-Theek in the district, the official added.
The army and popular forces carried out on Monday unique military operations in Taiz province.
A military official said that a number of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed at the hands of the army and popular forces in al-Jazami Hill in al-Kadaha area in al-Ma'afer district.
A Saudi aggression fighter jet targeted a citizen's car driving in Fara area of Kutaf district in Saada province overnight, killing the driver and injuring his friend, a security official said on Monday.
The army artillery and popular committees launched a fierce attack on Saudi-paid mercenaries' sites in Jawf province, a military official said on Monday.
The attack destroyed a military vehicle belonging to the mercenaries and killed all on board in Sabran area in khab and shaaf district.
Scores of Saudi enemy soldiers were killed and injured on Sunday when the army and popular forces repelled a Saudi military attempt to sneak into Shurfah site in the border province of Najran, a military official said.
The operation was accomplished successfully against the Saudi
The army and popular committees have killed a total of 18 Saudi-paid mercenaries in sniper operations over the past hours in the central province of Marib, a military official said on Sunday.
Ten mercenaries were killed in Nehm district and eight others were killed in Serwah district, said the official.
Saudi aggression warplanes have launched more than 49 airstrikes over the past hours on several residential areas across Yemen, a security official said on Sunday.
The airstrikes targeted the areas of Malahiz and Husama in Dhahir district, and areas Thuban, Masahif and Sdad in Bakim district of northern Saada province.
ECHO provides assistance to 70,000 Yemeni malnourished children
