UNICEF says Yemen's West Coast 'on verge of catastrophe' due to malnutrition, warning thousands will die

UNICEF on Tuesday said that the West Coast of Yemen is "on the verge of catastrophe" amid severe and acute malnutrition.

"We've seen figures of 33% severe and acute malnutrition in certain areas, especially on the West Coast, which is where I was in Hodeidah, and that is on the verge of a catastrophe," UNICEF Yemen Representative Peter Hawkins told a UN briefing in Geneva.

"It's not a humanitarian crisis. It's not an emergency. It is a catastrophe where thousands will die," he warned.

He stressed that one in two children 5 years old and younger in the country are acutely malnourished and among them, over 537,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition, describing it as "a condition that is agonizing, life-threatening, and entirely preventable."

"Malnutrition weakens immune systems, stunts growth, and robs children of their potential. In Yemen, it's not just a health crisis-it is a death sentence for thousands," he said.

Equally alarming, 1.4 million pregnant and lactating women are malnourished, according to the representative.

Hawkins emphasized that the agency needs an additional $157 million for its response in 2025 as the current appeal is only 25% funded.

He also urged all parties involved in the conflict in Yemen to allow unimpeded delivery of aid and allow humanitarians to save lives.

"We call for the release of detained UN staff and other humanitarian workers. And, importantly, for the conflict to cease," he concluded.