UN Declares Highest-level Aid Emergency in Yemen
Local Editor
The United Nations [UN] declared Yemen a level-3 humanitarian emergency on Wednesday, the highest on its scale, to step up urgently-needed international aid for the war-torn country as Saudi Arabia continues its deadly airstrikes against it.
UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien met with heads of agencies to discuss the crisis in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the country.
"All agencies agreed to declare the level three for a period of six months," UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said.
"The health system is facing imminent collapse with the closure of at least 160 health facilities due to insecurity, lack of fuel and supplies," he said.
More than 21.1 million people - over 80 percent of Yemen’s population - are in need of aid, with 13 million facing food shortages.
According to the UN, access to water has become difficult for 9.4 million people.
Also, ten of Yemen’s 22 governorates are classified as food emergencies - one step below famine, according to the UN.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meanwhile has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow badly-needed aid to be delivered to civilians suffering from the air war by a Saudi-led coalition.
The UN has also pushed the Saudi-led coalition to allow more commercial cargo ships to reach ports in Yemen, which is heavily dependent on imports of food, fuel and other vital supplies.
The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States, has been carrying out deadly airstrikes in Yemen since March- without a UN mandate.
According to the latest UN figures, 3,083 people have been killed as a result of the current conflict in Yemen and an additional 14,324 people have been injured.
