NEW YORK (February 13, 2015) – As the political crisis deepens in Yemen with several embassies evacuating their staff, UNICEF reaffirms its commitment to stay and deliver for the children of Yemen. The agency continues to deliver assistance with field trips across the country every day.

UNICEF is concerned about the economic impact of the crisis especially on women and children, on their nutrition and education. Children are one of the worst affected by the crisis in the country, millions of whom suffer from malnutrition, have their education disrupted, are at times forced into serving as combatants and suffer from poor health.

“We want to reassure the people of Yemen that UNICEF will deliver, for as long as there is no immediate threat to its staff.” said UNICEF Representative Julien Harneis. “Along with our implementing partners, we will continue to vaccinate children, cure malnourished children, build and repair schools, and provide psychosocial support to children in distress amongst other interventions.”

UNICEF has treated 160,000 children for acute malnutrition, provided nearly 900,000 people with safe drinking water and some 520,000 children will be benefitted with a safe learning environment through the construction and refurbishing of schools across the country.

Yemen’s complex humanitarian crisis is also chronic with an estimated 14.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Basic social services have yet to return to the levels before the crisis in 2011 and are likely to worsen in the future. UNICEF appeals to the international community to support the children of Yemen in this time of crisis and is requesting $60 million to meet the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable children in Yemen in 2015.

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information, contact:

Marci Greenberg, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.922.2464, mgreenberg@unicefusa.org