Local Editor
Global hunger levels are at their highest for decades with Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen facing the risk of famine and 70 million people in need of food aid, a specialist U.S.-based agency said on Wednesday.
People in 45 countries are unable to feed themselves largely because of conflict, drought and economic instability, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said.
"The combined magnitude, severity, and geographic scope of anticipated emergency food assistance needs during 2017 is unprecedented in recent decades," FEWS NET said in a statement.
In Yemen, persistent conflict, economic instability, and restricted humanitarian access make famine possible in 2017, FEWS NET said.
One third of the 70 million people needing emergency food aid live in four countries - Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Malawi - FEWS NET said.
Conflict is disrupting trade and humanitarian access in the first three of these, while Malawi has been hit by poor rains.
Saudi Arabia began its deadly campaign against Yemen in late March 2015. The strikes were meant to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
During the first year of this aggression, Britain licensed over £3 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The war has drawn huge international condemnation, with the Saudi coalition's actions having further devastated the Middle East's poorest nation.
More than half of Yemen’s 22 million population are currently living at emergency levels of food insecurity and need urgent relief – especially in remote rural areas that are often overlooked by humanitarian schemes.
About 11,403 people have been killed and over 19,343 injured since Riyadh launched the airstrikes. The Saudi aggression has also taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s facilities and infrastructure.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
