Local Editor
As the offensive on the key Yemeni port of Hodeida has begun, CARE warned that this will have a catastrophic impact on the civilian population.
“We have had more than 30 airstrikes within 30 minutes this morning around the city. Some civilians are entrapped, others forced from their homes. We thought it could not get any worse, but unfortunately we were wrong,” said Jolien Veldwijk, CARE’s acting country director in Yemen.
“This attack risks more people dying, but it also risks cutting the lifeline of millions of Yemenis. Food imports already reached the lowest levels since the conflict started and the price of basic commodities has risen by a third. We are gravely concerned that parts of the population could experience famine,” said Veldwijk.
According to the UN more than a quarter million people could lose everything, including their lives. The civil war in Yemen has already cost the lives of more than 10,000 people, and is labeled as today’s worst humanitarian disaster. More than 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, more than 8 million people already face the risk of starvation.
“The attack on Hodeida as the main point of entry for aid in Yemen will multiply horror and death in Yemen,” said Veldwijk. “We urge all parties to refrain from any further military activities in and around Hodeida city and the port. People are already exhausted, starving, and have no means to cope with any further escalation of war.”
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
