PNN – The UN Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs announced that 19.5 million Yemenis need humanitarian support and aid.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a report to the Security Council about the humanitarian situation in Yemen: A humanitarian aid appeal for Yemen released last month paints a grim picture. 19.5 million People in this country need humanitarian assistance.
The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations added: Millions of people are hungry and are at great risk of dangerous diseases. Children and women make up more than three quarters of the needy people.
He added: According to the report of the World Food Program in December, 64% of Yemen’s population was unable to meet their minimum food needs, which shows a 3% increase compared to November.
The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations continued: This figure will increase again this month, which is caused by the increase in food prices.
Fletcher said: As with any crisis, children suffer first and suffer the most. 3.2 million Children in Yemen do not go to school. Half of the children under the age of 5 are acutely malnourished. Seventy percent of three- and four-year-old children have not received a full course of vaccination.
Children under 5 are dying at an alarming rate, mostly due to preventable or treatable conditions, the UN official said. They lost their lives in 2023, which means that an average of five children were killed every hour in Yemen.
Fletcher emphasized that despite the high risks, humanitarian operations are largely continuing across Yemen, but the detention of more UN staff in January has led to tough decisions about the UN system’s ability to deliver to those in need.
The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations said: The situation in Yemen is dangerous. My request to the Security Council is, first release the UN staff and civil society. They represent you in this country. Protect them as required by international humanitarian law. To save lives, humanitarian workers must speak to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
The UN official added: Second, support us to restore UN operations to full capacity and give us funds to serve those in need amidst the current global financial challenges.
He added: Third, don’t take actions that affect civilians’ access to essential services. Political and security decisions should not punish affected communities by restricting the flow of essential goods to Yemen.