“The malnutrition situation in Yemen has reached crisis levels,” Unicef said in a statement. It’s local director, Geert Cappelaere was more blunt.

“The situation is dire,” he said. “Yemen has globally the second highest level of studented growth, second only to Afghanistan,” he said. “In children under five, 58 per cent are severely malnourised.”

The political and socio-economic upheavals of last year centred have worsened an already precarious situation.

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the distribution of Dh500 million in emergency aid towards buying food items and supplies in Yemen earlier this week. The Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation is taking charge of purchasing supplies such as rice, flour, sugar, oil, baby milk, canned food, and other key necessities.

While products will be purchased in local markets in Yemen to generate economic activity, Cappelaere wants all Gulf states to contribute and try and prevent a looming catastrophe.

“We’re at the tipping point,” he said... http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/malnutrition-at-crisis-levels-in-yemen-1.1032686