Ministry of Planning and UNICEF Launch National Call to Accelerate Implementation of Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan

Ministry of Planning and UNICEF Launch National Call to Accelerate Implementation of Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has launched a national call to action to activate the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan (2025–2030) and expand local acceleration programmes aimed at strengthening coordination among government institutions and development partners while intensifying efforts to reduce malnutrition across Yemen.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba emphasized that eliminating malnutrition requires coordinated action across all sectors. She called on government ministries, local authorities, and development partners to integrate the objectives of the Nutrition Action Plan into their implementation programmes and annual budgets, while accelerating interventions targeting children and women throughout the country's governorates.

She added, "Investing in nutrition is an investment in Yemen's future. The success of the plan depends on unifying efforts and translating commitments into practical actions that deliver tangible results on the ground."

The national call focuses on aligning sectoral plans in health, education, agriculture, water, sanitation, and social protection with the objectives of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan. It also seeks to strengthen coordination among government institutions, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners to ensure integrated interventions and improve the efficient use of available resources.

According to the plan's documentation, approximately 2.2 million children under the age of five, along with 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women, suffer from one or more forms of malnutrition. Meanwhile, the national stunting rate stands at approximately 49 percent, underscoring the urgent need to expand both preventive and therapeutic interventions and adopt a multi-sectoral approach to address the underlying causes of malnutrition.

The call outlines a set of actions for government ministries and local authorities to incorporate the plan's objectives into their annual budgets and operational plans. It also urges development partners to better coordinate funding and direct resources toward the most critical gaps, while supporting the expansion of local acceleration programmes following the successful completion of the first phase in Taiz and Lahj, paving the way for implementation across the remaining governorates of Yemen.