In Yemen, a child dies every 10 minutes

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) on Sunday urged parties in conflict in Yemen to stop hostilities, saying that the country had become a "hell on earth" for children, struck by famine. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called Friday for the end of "violence" to prevent the country from falling into a "precipice".

"Yemen is a hell on earth today, not for 50 to 60 percent of children, it's hell on earth for every boy and girl in Yemen," said UNICEF director for the Middle East. East and North Africa, Geert Cappelaere, at a press conference in Amman.

Amal Hussain, the Yemeni girl who made the front page of the "New York Times", is dead

Worst humanitarian crisis in the world

The war in Yemen pits pro-government forces and a Saudi-led coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who in 2014 and 2015 seized vast areas of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The conflict killed nearly 10,000 people, mostly civilians, and caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Beyond famine cases, the population suffers from diseases such as cholera.

"Every 10 minutes a child dies because of preventable diseases," said Geert Cappelaere.

The official told AFP Thursday that 1.8 million children under the age of five were in "acute malnutrition". The conflict exacerbates "an already bad situation due to years of underdevelopment" in this poorest country in the region, he said.

Yemen: More than 5 million children at risk of famine

"We call on all parties to meet later this month under the auspices of the UN special envoy to agree on a ceasefire" in Yemen, said Sunday that Unicef.

He highlighted the particularly worrying situation in Hodeida, a rebel-held port city in the west of the country, which pro-government forces are seeking to take back.

"The port of Hodeida is a vital point for 70 to 80% of the Yemeni population (…) because it is only via Hodeida that are transported commercial and humanitarian deliveries that allow us to provide aid to the north of the country. country, "he explained.

"With the onslaught on Hodeida, we are not only worried about the lives of hundreds of thousands of children (in the region) but we also fear the impact this will have on children in the north of the country", he added.

With AFP