UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien said around 17 million of Yemen’s 26 million people lack sufficient food and at least three million malnourished children are in "grave peril".
He said: "This is rapidly becoming the world's worst humanitarian disaster".
Mr O'Brien was speaking ahead of a major conference today where the UN is seeking $2.1 billion for Yemen this year.
The world body has received only 15% towards that appeal, none of it from regional countries, UN records show.
Yemen is reeling from conflict between Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, against a Western-backed, Saudi-led coalition that is carrying out air strikes almost daily.
UN aid agencies are reaching more than 5 million Yemenis "despite all the bureaucratic obstacles and the difficulties of access including at the ports", Mr O'Brien said.
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25/4/17
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The United Nations secretary general on Tuesday called on warring factions in Yemen to enter peace talks with a view to ending hostilities and reaching a solution to the two-year conflict there.
ReplyDeleteAntonio Guterres made his comments as part of his opening remarks at a high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva.
EFE/EPA