Yemen on brink of famine

Sanaa

The war in Yemen has pushed the nation to the brink of famine, with millions of people facing possible starvation, the United Nations has announced. Women and children are particularly at risk as fighting near ports continues to stall food imports.

Some 13 million people – half the country – are hungry, while six million face starvation and urgently need food aid, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said.

Earlier this week, warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition bombed the port of Hodeida, which is controlled by Iranian-allied Huthi forces and had become the main access point for aid to the north. The bombardment has worsened the already desperate situation in Yemen. 

The lack of basic food supplies, a shortage of clean water, and a diminished fuel supply have created “the dawn of a perfect storm for the most vulnerable Yemeni people,” WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said in a statement.

She added that the warning signs of famine “are in fact developing in front of our eyes,” and that “damage to Yemen’s next generation may become irreversible if we don’t reach children quickly with the right food at the right time.”

According to the WFP, more than 1.2 million children are suffering from moderately acute malnutrition, and over half a million are severely malnourished. “We must act now, before it’s too late,” Cousin said.