A highlight of the N4GParis Summit was the high-level political commitment demonstrated by many Governments of countries with the highest burdens of malnutrition.There are other countries where there is great work going on at a technical level to integrate nutrition across different sectors but where there is a need to promote stronger high-level political leadership and commitment.
This is illustrated in this N4D Politics of Ending Malnutrition podcast conversation with Karima Al-Hada’a (see under Government section on podcast page) from the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Yemen Secretariat, in the Ministry of Planning. We chatted at the end of the Summit, where Karima was supporting the participation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mustapha Noman.
Karima highlights the opportunities that exist within Yemen, despite the complex political challenges, to strengthen the capabilities of sectoral line ministries to integrate and deliver evidence-based nutrition interventions, aligned with priorities identified in the recently updated Yemen Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan (MSNAP).
She highlights the strong technical commitment and capacities within line ministries that need to be supported politically, with political leaders helping to communicate the opportunities for strengthening service delivery across sectors to international development partners.
“… the narrative should be changed even under this very gloomy picture of the political situation in the country… they [political leaders] should bridge the gap between the political level and the technical level, understanding the needs of the sectors … and speak on their behalf”.
Karima calls for a multisectoral approach to nutrition, as embodied in the MSNAP, to be used as the foundation for the national recovery and sustainable development plan. This will ensure a greater emphasis on meeting the basic needs of the population through strengthened national and local service delivery systems.
An outcome of the participation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Summit is a commitment to engage with other political leaders in the country to encourage this integration of nutrition as a priority within national recovery and development plans, currently being developed in consultation with international partners.
The message from the N4G Summit that scaling up a multisectoral approach to nutrition can bring massive social, economic and political returns on investments, even in the most fragile contexts, came through loud and clear.
The Yemen MSNAP provides the foundation for efforts to promote sustainable peace and development. At a time of declining international aid, prioritising the prevention of malnutrition in protracted crisis contexts is in everyone´s interests.
