Life-saving nutrition supplies arrive to support treatment of acute malnutrition in northern Yemen

The support, funded by the European Union, will allow to provide life-saving treatment to 5,500 children suffering from acute malnutrition in priority areas of northern Yemen. The RUTFs will be distributed across ACF-supported health facilities and may also help cover supply gaps in other health facilities in priority areas, in coordination with relevant partners. Through contingency stock and strengthened preparedness, this distribution is intended to ensure uninterrupted treatment for approximately two months. The support builds on the previous EU-funded project that enabled ACF to reach 341,891 people, including 93,277 children, with integrated health and nutrition intervention across southern and northern Yemen, between April 2024 and June 2026.¹ 

The supplies are intended to strengthen the nutrition pipeline for northern Yemen amid ongoing import constraints which have affected humanitarian operations in the country, as well as the continuity of nutrition treatment for children in need. Increased transportation costs, disruptions to shipping routes and prolonged delivery timelines continue to affect the timely delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid in the region due to worsened operational environment and escalation in the Middle East. Action Contre la Faim is also awaiting the arrival of an additional 14,300 boxes of RUTFs, which remain delayed in transit. 

“In Yemen, malnutrition remains at alarming levels, with more than 2.2 million children and 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women estimated to be acutely malnourished,” said Daniel Nyabera, ACF Yemen Country Director “As of mid-July, many health facilities across northern  Yemen are facing stocks-out of RUTFs.² We are grateful to the European Union for supporting Action Contre la Faim’s pilot initiative to facilitate the importation of RUTFs, which is proving critical in addressing supply shortages and ensuring the continuity of life-saving treatment. At a time when regional escalation continues to affect humanitarian operations across the Middle East and beyond, we call for sustained diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and ensure that
lifesaving assistance reaches those who need it most.” 

About Action Contre la Faim

Action Contre la Faim has been working in Yemen since 2012 and is currently operating in five governorates across the whole country, including Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Hajjah and Lahj. The response in Yemen focuses on addressing both the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition through integrated health and nutrition interventions.  

About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid

The European Union and its Member States are among the world’s leading donors of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by disasters and human-induced crises. Through the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs. 

---

¹ Activities were implemented in the governorates of Al Hudaydah, Abyan and Hajjah.

² Of the 29 health facilities supported by Action Against Hunger in northern Yemen, only 7 currently have sufficient stocks to cover projected needs. Other humanitarian organizations are also reporting widespread supply shortages in health facilities located outside Action contre la Faim’s areas of intervention.