• A man and children stand amid the rubble of a collapsed building at the site of a reported US airstrike on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on March 24, 2025. (AFP) 

US attacks over the past three days on multiple areas in Yemen have killed eight children and displaced civilians, particularly in the coastal city of Hodeidah, the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) said, warning that Western coastal areas are "on the verge of a catastrophe" due to malnutrition.

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF’s representative in Yemen, described his observations from Hodeidah, stating, “I was in Hodeidah over the past three days. I passed through the western plains, where people are out in the streets and along the roadsides, begging and seeking help. They have lost hope. I personally saw a heavily damaged building where three children were injured in the bombing yesterday.”

"We've seen figures of 33% severe and acute malnutrition in certain areas. Especially on the west coast, in Hodeidah it is on the verge of a catastrophe...where thousands will die," Hawkins told reporters in Geneva via video link in Sanaa.

He confirmed that eight children have been killed in the latest airstrikes on northern Yemen, emphasizing that these attacks have had a direct impact on the people living near the targeted areas.

"Some of our staff members have also been affected by these bombings. It is truly shocking," Hawkins added.

'Death sentence' for thousands of children

Additionally, the UNICEF official warned that the ongoing humanitarian crises in Yemen amount to “a death sentence for thousands of children,” calling on the international community to urgently respond by securing an additional $157 million in humanitarian aid for 2025.

Cuts in aid from the US and other donors, combined with a severe shortfall in food distribution in 2024, have exacerbated the crisis in certain areas.  

Earlier this month, Médecins Sans Frontières warned of rising malnutrition in Yemen, with needs surpassing the available treatment capacity. The organization called for increased support following a decline in humanitarian funding for the country.  

Since assuming office on January 20, US President Donald Trump has suspended USAID programs for 90 days as his administration reviews their alignment with his 'America First' policy.

Hawkins stated, “I stand before you today not just to present numbers, but to amplify the voices of millions of children besieged in one of the world’s worst prolonged humanitarian crises—a crisis marked by hunger and deprivation, and now an alarming escalation.”

The UNICEF representative highlighted that one in every two children under the age of five in Yemen suffers from acute malnutrition. Among them, over 537,000 children endure severe acute malnutrition, a painful and life-threatening condition that weakens the immune system, stunts growth, and deprives children of their potential.

“In Yemen, this is not just a health crisis—it is a death sentence for thousands,” he asserted.

Equally concerning, he noted, is that 1.4 million pregnant and lactating women are also suffering from malnutrition, perpetuating a vicious cycle of suffering across generations.

"This catastrophe is not natural - it is man-made. Over a decade of conflict has decimated Yemen's economy, healthcare and infrastructure. More than half of the population rely on humanitarian aid," Hawkins explained.

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