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Civil Conflict, Cash Transfers, and Child Nutrition in Yemen

Author

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  • Olivier Ecker
  • Afnan Al-Malk
  • Jean-François Maystadt

Abstract

The most dramatic outcomes of protracted civil conflict include increased malnutrition among children and the resulting consequences for lifelong health and prosperity. Little is known about how to mitigate the nutritional impact of conflict. Understanding the potential of social-protection measures is particularly important when the risk of intense armed conflict is high. We use quarterly panel data from Yemen to estimate the impact of civil conflict on child nutrition and the effect of unconditional cash transfers in mitigating the adverse nutritional impact. The results show that a 1 standard deviation increase in armed conflict intensity reduces children’s weight-for-height z-scores by 9.6% on average. We also find that the studied cash transfer program mitigates the estimated nutritional impact by 42.4%. Our analysis suggests that unconditional cash transfers can be an effective development-policy tool to curb rising acute child malnutrition in Yemen.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Ecker & Afnan Al-Malk & Jean-François Maystadt, 2024. "Civil Conflict, Cash Transfers, and Child Nutrition in Yemen," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 72(4), pages 2069-2100.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/726294
    DOI: 10.1086/726294
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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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