United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator: Yemen's greatest famine threatens for years

The situation in Yemen has deteriorated so much that there is a threat of famine for 14 million people. Earlier, Mark Lowcock, head of humanitarian aid at the United Nations, warned the UN Security Council Tuesday night. According to Lowcock, famine threatens more than humanitarian workers have seen in their professional lives.

"On September 21, I warned you that we were losing the battle against the famine in Yemen, and since then the situation has worsened," Lowcock told the Security Council. He admits that last year he had also warned twice that a famine was imminent and that (partly thanks to the international intervention) had not declared itself. Yet, according to the UN chief, the causes of the crisis have not been eliminated and the situation is now "much more serious" than before.

Half of the population

According to a new UN calculation, fourteen million Yemenis, or half of the population, are at risk of becoming fully dependent on emergency assistance for their food supply. "This help," Lowcock said, "is enough to survive, not to flourish." The immune system of millions of people is weakened by years of poor nutrition. They threaten to become malnourished or become ill. Health facilities are not available for more than half of Yemenis because of the crisis.

Also read this interview with Mark Lowcock, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator: "Wars become more ferocious and progress has been made"

In Yemen, UN is currently providing food assistance to eight million people each month. Last year, 50,000 children under five died of hunger and malnutrition. According to the UN, the total number of victims of the emergency situation is difficult to determine because many victims are not reported. We are still working on an inventory of the situation at the moment. It is clear that 80% of Yemenis live below the poverty line.

Causes

According to Lowcock, the situation in Yemen has deteriorated due to ongoing fighting around Hadaydah and the collapse of the economy. The warring parties are violating international humanitarian law according to the UN. For example, hospitals, utilities and infrastructure have been attacked or damaged.

To avoid a famine, according to Lowcock, it is necessary to put an end to the fighting, to guarantee the emergency relief and to allocate more funds to relief operations. The UN emergency chief also advocates greater and faster investment in the economy by the Central Bank. Finally, he argues that the warring parties should sit around the table with the special envoy to end the conflict.