UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) – UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, yesterday warned that, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has never been worse.
“Famine is again on the horizon. Conflict is again escalating. The economy is again in tatters. Humanitarian agencies are again nearly broke,” Lowcock told the Security Council in a briefing. “And then the new problems: COVID-19 is spreading out of control, and we have the sorry saga of the Safer tanker.”
Lowcock warned that funding for the aid operations in Yemen is on the verge of collapse.
The United Nations and partners used to provide food to 13 million hungry people every month in Yemen. Because of funding cuts, only five million of those people are still getting full rations. Eight million have had their rations cut in half. Similar cuts are affecting millions of people who rely on aid for water, health care and other needs, he said.
Aid organisations have so far received about 18 percent of what is needed for this year’s humanitarian response plan. What had in recent years been one of the better-funded humanitarian operations around the world is now one of the most underfunded, he said.
It means a 50 percent cut to water and sanitation programmes in 15 cities around the country in Aug. The United Nations will also have to stop hygiene activities for people who recently fled their homes. In Sept, nearly 400 health facilities, including 189 hospitals, will lose supplies of clean water and essential medicines. That could cut off health care for nine million people, he warned.
Also in Sept, money will be running out for the treatment of more than a quarter of a million children, who are suffering from severe malnutrition. Without treatment, those children will die, he said.
“It is not difficult to predict the effects of less food, less water and less health care in Yemen. Without more funding, we should all expect large increases in hunger, malnutrition, cholera, COVID-19 — and, above all, death. We should expect many more people to die.”
Despite the lack of funds, demands for assistance are set to increase sharply. Last week, a new food security survey was released, covering 133 districts controlled by the government of Yemen. About 40 percent of people in these areas are now estimated to be highly food insecure, an increase from 25 percent from the start of the year. Sixteen districts are now categorised as “Phase 4,” which is one step away from famine conditions. At the beginning of the year, just two districts had been rated as “Phase 4,” he noted.
With adequate funding, humanitarian agencies can address the most immediate needs in Yemen and prevent a renewed slide towards famine. This would spare millions of people from needless suffering, which would in turn help to create more space for the political process, he said.
“The choice before the world is the same as last month: help Yemen now, or watch the country fall into the abyss.”– NNN-AGENCIES
