As Yemen enters its fifth year of conflict, more than 24 million people — some 80 percent of the population — are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 12.3 million children. An estimated 360,000 children under age 5 are acutely malnourished and fighting for their lives. Hospitals and schools have been damaged and closed, disrupting access to education and health services, leaving children even more vulnerable and robbing them of their futures. "Nowhere is safe for children in Yemen. The conflict is haunting them in their homes, schools and playgrounds," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore.
UNICEF Nutrition Manager Karanveer Singh cares for an acutely malnourished child in Sana'a, Yemen in October 2018. © UNICEF/UN0275786/
UNICEF is on the ground across Yemen, working with partners to provide lifesaving support and services to help children to cope with the impact of the conflict and resume their childhoods.
That work wouldn't be possible without the sustained support of generous donors. But as fresh emergencies erupt elsewhere around the globe, news of Yemen's devastating ongoing humanitarian crisis doesn't always make the front page. That's why monthly giving is so essential to protect the futures of children growing up in protracted emergencies.
Years of conflict have crippled Yemen's infrastructure and left a generation of children without nutrition, education or health care
Regular monthly donations allow UNICEF to allocate resources efficiently, planning large-scale interventions to address the critical needs of Yemen's youngest citizens and their families.
A child is vaccinated at a health centre in Bani Alhareth, Sana’a during a UNICEF-backed Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign in February 2019. © UNICEF/UN0284441/ Alaidroos
Ongoing humanitarian emergencies require a steady stream of funding, even as new stories crowd the headlines
In 2018, sustained monthly giving allowed UNICEF and partners to:
- Help over 4.9 million people access safe drinking water
- Vaccinate almost 4.7 million children under 5 against polio
- Help provide almost 42,000 children with basic learning supplies
- Treat more than 305,000 children between 6 and 59 months for severe acute malnutrition
- Reach over 781,000 children and caregivers in conflict-affected areas with psychological support
- Reach more than 1.1 million children with education on mines and explosive remnants of war
Rania, 12, missed a year of school in Dar Salm, Yemen. Now, with UNICEF support, she's back in the sixth grade, and tutoring her little brother in math. © UNICEF/UN0286322/Alghabri
In 2019, UNICEF will need $592 million to fund what has become the largest humanitarian operation in the world, working with partners to save and protect Yemen's children, including:
- Treating more than 321,000 children under age 5 for severe acute malnutrition
- Vaccinating 924,000 children against measles
- Providing 7 million people with clean, safe drinking water
- Supporting quality education programs for 817,000 children
Giving monthly ensures that UNICEF will have the funds necessary to help children born into protracted conflict
"It is time for the war to come to an end," Gert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, and Ahmed Al Mandhari, World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a joint statement in April. "If not, Yemen will continue to be trapped in endless humanitarian disasters — with the most vulnerable paying the highest price."
Fatima, 12, (right) and her fifth grade classmates attend the UNICEF-supported school of Saif bin The-Yazan in Aden,Yemen in 2018. © UNICEF/UN0286375/Aldeen
By becoming a monthly donor, you make it possible for UNICEF to meet the urgent needs of children growing up in crisis
It can be difficult to read the news these days. More countries are embroiled in internal and international conflct now than at any time in the past 30 years. No child chooses to be born into a war zone.
Setting up a regular monthly gift to UNICEF means that every day, you'll be doing your part of help UNICEF put children first and make sure they receive the support and protection they need to survive and thrive.
Monthly givers know they're helping UNICEF save and protect the world's most vulnerable children
UNICEF USA's Guardian Circle program lets members set up their monthly giving in one easy step. Giving up something as small as a cup of coffee can have a big impact on the life of a child. And establishing a recurring monthly gift lets UNICEF plan ahead on how best to use that money, ensuring that every dollar donated has maximum impact. Rebuilding a battered nation takes time, expertise, persistence, hope — and committed donors.
Top photo: UNICEF and partners treated 9-month-old Yahya Hamoud Ali for malnutrition in Sana'a, Yemen in October 2018. © UNICEF/UN0275788/Huwais