Local Editor
The United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien described the humanitarian situation in Yemen as a "man-made disaster".
O’Brien told the United Nations Security Council Monday that "this humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is a man-made disaster, where conflict has exacerbated and exponentially increased the suffering of the 50 per cent of the Yemeni population who already were in dire and extreme poverty".
The UN official added, "the humanitarian situation has become worse and 80 per cent of Yemenis, 21.2 million people, are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian actors are being asked to fill the void left by the political power vacuum, but this is not a viable solution".
O’Brien also called for a political solution to the 18-month long conflict.
"There can be no humanitarian solution to the conflict in Yemen. There needs to be a political solution, beginning with an immediate cessation of hostilities. I echo the Special Envoy’s call. All parties and all with influence over them must work towards peace," the UN Under-Secretary-General added.
"Yemen is ‘one step away from famine’," said the UN official, adding, "over 14 million are food insecure, 7 million are severely food insecure - they do not know where their next meal is coming from. Over two million people are malnourished nationwide, including 370,000 children who are severely malnourished."
Yemen has been subjected to a brutal aggression by a Saudi-led coalition since March 26. Thousands have been killed and injured, the vast majority of them civilians. The Saudi aggression has also taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s infrastructure.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
