Yemen facing 'worst famine in human history'
The United Nations has warned that the Yemen crisis is at risk of experiencing one of the worst famines in human history.
Recently, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock warned that the prospect of famine in Yemen could be "the worst disaster any expert in this field has ever witnessed".
Mr Lowcock said the lives of many people in the Middle Eastern country were "clearly at risk" from famine and that about 14 million people, or half the population, could soon be completely dependent on aid to survive.
Mr Lowcock said fierce fighting in the port city of Hodeida, which has been a major food entry point, was threatening aid deliveries. He called for a ceasefire around ports and for ships carrying aid to pass safely through the country.
However, hours after Mr Lowcock’s announcement, the Saudi-led coalition sent reinforcements, including tanks and armoured vehicles, to the port area. Yemeni officials said they were facing a new wave of attacks.
|
| A Yemeni mother and her 6-year-old son at a hospital in the port city of Hodeida. Photo: Reuters. |
The war has hampered the flow of supplies into Yemen. Even as the United Nations ramps up aid to some 8 million people, workers are unable to reach everyone who is starving.
In a report by the NGO Save the Children, food prices have doubled in Yemen. Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children's country director in Yemen, said: "The collapsing economy is a silent killer here. Many people are struggling to survive. Parents tell our staff they have gone without food for up to two days to give what little food they have to their children."
Yemen's civil war has dragged on for three years since Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized large parts of the Middle Eastern country, including the capital Sana'a. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and several other allied countries have been involved in the war since 2015 to support the Yemeni government.
Thousands of Yemeni civilians have been targeted by airstrikes and bombings, facing starvation and the risk of infectious diseases. The Middle Eastern country has suffered the worst cholera epidemic in its history.
At least 10,000 innocent people have died and millions more are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
