The humanitarian crisis in Yemen affects the nutritional status of children under 5. The Nutrition Cluster estimates that of the 1.9 million children under 5 with acute malnutrition in 2020, 320 000 will have severe acute malnutrition, and 32 000 (10%) medical complications.

WHO is one of the leading agencies in the area of nutrition in Yemen. WHO has the responsibility to assure, based on its global recommendations, the management of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications. WHO Yemen is extending full support to 86 therapeutic feedingcentres across the country targeting at least 15 185 children in 2020.

From January to April 2020, WHO Yemen reached 3683 children with life-saving services in its supported centres across 222 districts in 22 governorates.

The support in centres is not exclusive to life-saving services but also extends to cover preventive measures through extensive infant and young child feeding counselling for caregivers to: protect and promote breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding; prevent relapses and similar episodes in children within the family; and promote caregivers' health-seeking behaviour.

WHO ensures the provision of medical and non-medical supplies to all centres, the running costs and referral payment for caregivers to reduce out-of-pocket payment.

Up until April, With the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assure the safety of caregivers and beneficiaries, WHO Yemen, provided personal protection equipment, trained therapeutic feeding centre workers (200) on infection prevention and control measures and on first aid psychosocial support which are cascaded to caregivers during counselling sessions.

From January to April 2020, performance indicators in WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centres were as below:

• Number of admitted children = 3683
• Percentage of children under-6 months = 22% (808)
• Percentage of stabilized and referred to OTP = 91% (3130)
• Percentage of defaulters = 7% (241)
• Percentage of deaths = 2% (76)
• Number of counselling sessions conducted = 18 415
• Percentage of relapse = 3% (101)

Therapeutic feeding centres dashboard, April 2020

Therapeutic feeding centres dashboard, March 2020

Therapeutic feeding centres dashboard, February 20220

Therapeutic feeding centres dashboard, December 2019

Therapeutic feeding centres dashboard, July 2019