As 2025 begins, Yemen faces its worst humanitarian crisis yet.

According to UNICEF’s March 25 report, one in two children under five in Yemen is malnourished—a statistic “almost unparalleled across the world,” says Peter Hawkins, UNICEF’s representative in the country. He describes the situation as “man-made.”

The UN agency also warns that approximately 1.4 million pregnant and lactating women are malnourished, along with over 540,000 severely and acutely malnourished children—a condition Hawkins calls “agonising, life-threatening, and entirely preventable.”

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) offers an even more alarming outlook, warning that the crisis is worse than it appears.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” says Leah Cowan, MSF Regional Humanitarian Affairs Advisor, speaking to TRT World.

“The malnutrition situation at the wider community level is very severe, and it’s even reaching a point where it’s outstripping our treatment capacity.”

Speaking to TRT World, Cowan detailed MSF’s newly released report on malnutrition among Yemenis from January 2022 to December 2024.

Published on March 19, the findings paint a dire picture—why is the crisis worsening, and what’s driving this rise?

‘Man-made’ crisis

Low vaccination rates, skyrocketing food prices, ongoing war, and funding cuts are all contributing to the crisis—factors that Hawkins describes as “man-made.”

Over the past decade, food prices have increased by more than 300%, worsening both hunger and malnutrition.

Cowan recalls a recent conversation with a Yemeni mother:

“One mother told me she could only give her family meat twice a year—during Eid—when it was donated to their family by people who had access to aid.”

Malnutrition refers to the condition where individuals, particularly children, do not get the essential nutrients their bodies need to grow and function properly. 

This often leads to weakened immune systems, stunted growth, and increased susceptibility to disease. Among the most vulnerable are babies under six months old, many of whom suffer from malnutrition due to a lack of breastfeeding.

“What we are seeing is an average of a quarter of babies under six months old are actually suffering from malnourishment. This is largely linked to the fact that they are not being breastfed by their mothers,” Cowan explains.

But why? Because their mothers are also suffering from severe malnutrition.

“It can be very difficult for them to produce enough breast milk. Exclusive breastfeeding rates in Yemen are extremely low—as low as 2% in some areas and even 0% in certain governorates.”

“I even met another mother who had a child who was one and a half years old who couldn't actually walk properly,” Cowan says.

For Cowan, this is linked to the stunting and difficulties in natural child development due to malnutrition.

Where is international aid?

As Cowan noted in the interview, MSF has recorded a 90% rise in measles cases across its facilities in Yemen over the past three years, highlighting the deadly link between malnutrition and disease.

In one facility alone, 54% of children suffering from acute watery diarrhoea or cholera were also malnourished.

“What’s very worrying is that MSF has documented a 470% increase in the number of measles treated in its facilities in Yemen…and that's just in the last three years,” says Leah Cowan. 

“So we really appeal for an integrated response to try and tackle malnutrition.”

As health cases surge, MSF reports record-breaking bed occupancy rates. In one governorate alone, hospital capacity hit 200% in September 2024, followed by 176% in October—the highest levels in six years.

MSF staff describe grim conditions: “During peak malnutrition season, we have to place patients in the corridors, using them as makeshift wards. During a 2024 cholera outbreak, we had to put men in tents outside because we ran out of hospital space. It was 45 degrees, it’s so hot!…there were so many sick patients we had no choice.”

However, despite growing needs, international aid is being slashed.

“And what is particularly concerning is the US aid cuts, along with funding reductions from other major donors, including EU countries, that have come at a time when the needs in Yemen are actually rising,” says Cowan.

The US funding freeze has severely disrupted aid, cutting off 51% of last year’s donor contributions ($768M). With multiple countries reducing aid, MSF calls for depoliticised, flexible, and predictable funding to match Yemen’s crises.

Cowen noted that the humanitarian organisations are “downscaling their activities drastically because of the funding cuts.”

Is Yemen slipping into a silenced crisis?

Cowan warns that Yemen risks slipping into a “silenced, neglected, and protracted” crisis as international attention fades.

“We are really putting the word out to try and bring more attention to Yemen and to avoid Yemen slipping into a silenced crisis,” she says.

Their message to international donors is clear: Now is not the time to walk away.

“We're appealing to the international community that they don't give up on Yemen. This is not the time to follow suits. This is a time to remain committed and to reinvest.”

Cowan says that they believe malnutrition seasonal peaks are predictable.

“They're getting longer, they're getting more severe, but they're predictable,” she says, adding, “Prevention is always better than cure.”

What lies ahead for Yemen in 2025?

Of Yemen's 39 million people, an estimated 17.1 million are expected to face food insecurity in 2025.

If the crisis remains unaddressed, 17.1 million Yemenis—nearly half the population—are projected to face food insecurity in 2025, MSF warns.

UNICEF’s Peter Hawkins echoes the dire warning, “It's not a humanitarian crisis. It's not an emergency. It is a catastrophe where thousands will die”.