RI: Protecting Yemen's Children from Famine

Cholera. Conflict. Famine. Economic Decline. Every day, millions of Yemenis face unspeakable hardship.

In Yemen today:

• 22.2 million people — nearly the entire population — need assistance to survive.
• 17.8 million Yemenis do not have reliable access to food
• 16.4 million people lack access to adequate healthcare
• 7.5 million people require nutritional assistance 

Relief International currently runs 10 programs to deliver nutritional assistance, health care, clean, safe water to families in the most remote corners of war-torn Yemen.

NUTRITION: Nearly two million children and more than a million pregnant or lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition. Relief International teams restore the health of these women and children with programs that include monitored feeding and nutritional supplements. RI teams also deliver food baskets and vouchers to underserved families which allow them to buy nutritious fruits and vegetables from local markets. RI often provides the only source of food to these families. 

HEALTH: Relief International supports Yemen’s national health care system by repairing damaged clinics and hospitals and stocking them with medicine and supplies. RI teams provide training and incentives for medical staff, whose life-saving work often puts their own lives in jeopardy. RI reaches the most remote communities with mobile medical units — think hospitals on wheels — which travel in weekly circuits between villages. The mobile teams deliver primary healthcare, treat individuals with chronic disease and vaccinate children against common childhood illnesses. 

WATER: Relief International teams repair wells and provide household kits that include items such as soap, jerry cans, water purification tablets, and basic hygiene items. Staff train local communities on healthy lifestyles and hygiene practices to improve community well-being and limit the spread of disease.

Relief International teams have trained hundreds of community leaders to promote and sustain healthy nutrition and hygiene practices in their villages. Thousands of local community members have attended these awareness sessions in schools, mosques and homes, where they learn what causes malnutrition and disease, how to identify symptoms and how to seek treatment at RI health facilities.

In Yemen, Relief International works to meet communities’ immediate needs, while laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.