Crisis in Yemen is Worsening

The crisis in Yemen is worsening on all levels, especially for children, United Nations experts warned the Security Council today, as delegates called on parties to uphold an urgent ceasefire and guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to stave off famine. With 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, he said a decimated economy is pushing the country to the brink. He stressed that 5 million people are one step away from succumbing to famine and the diseases that go with it, and 10 million more are right behind them. “Famine is not just a food problem, it’s a symptom of a much deeper collapse,” he warned, as people are starving not because there is no food, but because they cannot afford it. The horrors of violence will leave children physically and emotionally scarred for their entire lives. With hostilities escalating, she called on parties and the Council itself to place children first, granting UNICEF sustained humanitarian access everywhere, removing bureaucratic hurdles and opening the port of Hudaydah for food and fuel delivery. The international community must increase aid, she said, as the children of Yemen need a comprehensive and lasting peace.