\u201cWe are witnessing a noticeable increase in cases of malnutrition among pregnant girls, especially those married at an early age,\u201d said Reham Hazbar, a counsellor at a UNFPA-supported safe space in Al Hudaydah Governorate. \u201cMany arrive at health facilities suffering from low weight, anaemia and severe exhaustion, and their bodies are often not prepared to handle the demands of pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yemen remains one of the world\u2019s most severe and complex humanitarian crises, with more than\u00a022 million people<\/a>, half of them women and girls, in need of urgent assistance and protection this year. Fewer than\u00a0two thirds of health facilities<\/a> are fully functional, and of them only 20 per cent provide maternal health services. UNFPA estimates that 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Yemen are malnourished and 100,000 are displaced, increasing the risks of childbirth complications.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are witnessing a noticeable increase in cases of malnutrition among pregnant girls\u201d \u2013 Reham Hazbar\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cMany women cannot afford transport or the medicines and supplements we prescribe,\u201d said Amira*, a health worker in Abyan Governorate. \u201cSome girls also face social restrictions that limit their ability to access healthcare in time. And some areas lack medical staff and properly equipped facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Violence forced Fatimah and her family to move repeatedly, but one night floods ravaged the camp they were sheltering in, sweeping her husband away. Although he survived, he was left with post-traumatic stress that prevented him from working or supporting his family<\/p>\n She suddenly found herself caring for her husband as well as her two young daughters \u2013 and discovered she was pregnant again. Living in a tent and with no n humanitarian assistance.\u00a0Exhausted and anaemic due to malnutrition, she said, \u201cI feared for my baby more than I feared for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOften, pregnant women arrive at health centres late in pregnancy or only when serious complications appear \u2013 complications that could have been prevented with early care,\u201d continued Amira<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI feared for my baby more than I feared for myself\u201d \u2013 Fatimah*<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Fewer than half of Yemeni women<\/a> give birth in a health facility and nearly 30 per cent do not receive any form of antenatal care. Yemen has one of the\u00a0highest maternal mortality<\/a> rates in the region.\u00a0A lack of information about the importance of regular prenatal check-ups also prevents girls from seeking care, and many depend on their family or husband’s approval to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n Almost\u00a0one third of girls in Yemen are child brides, with rates highest among displaced populations. Over half the population is\u00a0acutely food insecure, with many women and girls suffering from severe anaemia and vitamin deficiencies. These affect not only the mother but can also lead to babies being born underweight and at greater risk of contracting illness and disease<\/p>\n \u201cThe women also continue to perform strenuous household and outdoor tasks, including farm work, fetching water and collecting firewood, despite their weakness and malnutrition,\u201d said Amira. \u201cThese conditions increase health risks for both the mother and the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Other complications on the rise are weight loss, preterm births, greater risks of bleeding during and after childbirth<\/a> and poor milk production. \u201cYoung age can cause additional difficulties during labour,\u201d said Amira. \u201cIf the case requires specialized intervention, she is immediately referred to a hospital capable of handling high-risk deliveries.\u201d<\/p>\n But the effectiveness of referrals depends heavily on the availability of transport, proximity of health facilities, and the family’s ability to reach them in time \u2013 none of which are guaranteed.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Al-Mahraq Village in the Abyan Governorate, Donia Adel, 19, has a two-year-old daughter and is eight months pregnant with her second child. As a young girl she loved school and dreamed of becoming a teacher. But at just eight years old, her mother and stepfather could no longer afford the costs and she had to stop<\/a> going.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI used to watch other children grow up in stable families while I struggled to adapt to a new and unsettled reality. At times, I felt like a burden to those around me,\u201d she recalled<\/p>\n\n
Malnutrition endangers mothers and newborns<\/h3>\n
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Interrupted schooling, disrupted futures<\/h3>\n
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