AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The organization "Doctors Without Borders" has warned about the deterioration of health services and malnutrition treatment in northern Yemen, announcing that its teams are facing a growing number of children suffering from acute malnutrition and serious medical complications. This situation occurs as the humanitarian aid budget for Yemen has decreased.
The organization stated that over a decade of conflict and deteriorating economic conditions continue to expose children across Yemen to alarming levels of malnutrition. On the other hand, the significant reduction of international aid to Yemen since 2025 has caused a number of service providers, especially in northern Yemen, to reduce or halt their activities.
In the provinces of Hajjah and Al-Hudaydah, this reduction in aid has led to shortages of personnel and equipment in some health centers, limiting the access of Yemeni children with malnutrition to timely treatment.
Fewer Services, Longer Journeys
Doctors Without Borders announced that Yemeni families in rural areas have long faced difficulties in accessing health services due to long distances, poor roads, and transportation costs. However, the closure or reduction of health and nutrition programs has made access to treatment even more difficult.
At Al-Salam Hospital, supported by Doctors Without Borders in the city of Khamir, one mother said she had been traveling for eight hours to bring her three-month-old child, because the necessary treatment was not available near her home in Al-Jawf province.
The organization warned that delays in accessing health services can turn treatable conditions into emergencies. Some children arrive at their treatment centers already suffering from severe medical complications, including measles.
Sharp Increase in Malnutrition Cases
Between January and June 2026, Doctors Without Borders teams at Al-Salam Hospital admitted 1,296 children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications. This figure was 798 children in the same period of 2025, indicating a 62 percent increase.
During the same period, mobile therapeutic feeding centers affiliated with this hospital treated 1,775 children with malnutrition, of which 1,251 had severe acute malnutrition and 524 had moderate acute malnutrition.
At Abs General Hospital in Hajjah province, the organization's teams treated 1,245 children with malnutrition in the first six months of the year, many of whom presented with medical complications.
Malnutrition cases among Yemeni mothers have also increased significantly, rising from 689 cases in 2025 to more than 1,260 cases in just the first six months of 2026. This situation increases the risk of complications for mothers and infants, including premature birth.
In healthcare centers supported by the organization in the city of Mokha in Taiz province, between January and June, 4,909 children with acute malnutrition were identified. Of these, 1,637 had severe acute malnutrition and 3,236 had moderate acute malnutrition.
In Al-Hudaydah province, according to Doctors Without Borders, complex cases of severe acute malnutrition have increased significantly, with the organization treating more than half of all cases recorded in the entire year of 2025 during just six months.
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