YEMEN AT BRINK OF FAMINE – WHY THE WORLD IS STILL WATCHING.?
We are utterly outraged by the countries and warring parties who are involved in the Yemen conflict. This is the fifth year of such human tragedy and has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
Hundred thousands of Yemeni children are now facing serious malnourishment.
According to the UN, fears of famine in Yemen are resurfacing to “alarming” levels of food insecurity.
It is incomprehensible to see how the situation in Yemen has deteriorated to such a level.
Reading a report of a mother appealing for help is hearth wrenching “My son is sick and I don’t know where to take him. He has a fever and I’ve nothing to treat him, I can’t even get water,” said Zaina Muhammad, mother to Hassan and his six siblings. “Sometimes we go days without washing.”
The situation in Yemen has worsened when compounded by coronavirus. Restrictions, reduced remittances, locusts, floods and significant underfunding of this year’s aid response has turned Yemen into scorched earth.
Why OIC is not able to find a solution to the conflict? The fact is, since the coalition lead by Saudi and UAE interfered in Yemen, the situation has turned into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Resurgent of violence in recent weeks dampened U.N. peace efforts and the killing of civilians are now rampant.
The world community are made aware of UNs warnings in late 2018 of an impending famine.
Despite an aid ramp-up was decided after World Food Programme fed up to 13 million Yemeni’s a month, the situation has not improved.
According to IOM, over 100,000 Yemenis displaced since the beginning of 2020.
However, what is disastrous, the world’s largest aid response is currently scaling back due to insufficient funding.
This dire state of the Yemeni civilians will deteriorate since nutrition services for 2.5 million children could cease by the end of August.
The number of malnourished under-fives could rise by 20% to 2.4 million by year-end on funding shortfalls, according to UNICEF.
80% of the population relies on humanitarian aid.
According to the U.N.’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, 40 per cent of south Yemen will face high levels of acute food insecurity in July-December.
We urge world leaders to pay attention to the situation in Yemen.
We demand the Saudi led military coalition to withdraw from Yemen. Since March 2015, Saudi led intervention has turned Yemen into a graveyard.
The international agencies must work to rebuild Yemen.
We strongly call world leaders to stop the war and avoid further escalation of violence to prevent more death in Yemen.
Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President MAPIM
