Yemen on verge of humanitarian crisis: UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has warned of a possible “major humanitarian crisis” in Yemen in the near future, as the impoverished country comes under Saudi airstrikes.

UNICEF’s Yemen representative, Julien Harneis, said the crisis could befall the Arabian Peninsula country within months if the international community fails to immediately increase efforts to help Sana’a provide food and vaccines for Yemeni children.

“If there isn’t the humanitarian support to the country, in six months or a year’s time, you will get a major humanitarian crisis around food security and around malnutrition,” he said.

The official cautioned that in case Yemen runs out of vaccines or stops providing health services it would have “an immediate impact.”

Saudi Arabia on Thursday started conducting airstrikes against Houthi fighters in its blatant invasion of Yemen with the bombing campaign entering its second day on Friday. Scores of people have been killed in the attacks.

Saudi airstrikes against the impoverished Arab country have drawn condemnation from many countries, including Iran, Iraq and Russia, as well as the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah. 

Cedric Schweizer, the head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen, meanwhile, voiced concerns over the air raids, saying the Saudi attacks have reportedly killed or injured a “considerable number” of civilians.

“We are worried by the recent escalation of violence in the country, and feel concerned at reports of civilian casualties following the airstrikes in the capital Sana’a and other parts of the country,” he said.

Yemeni civilians and security forces stand at the site of a Saudi airstrike against Houthi fighters near Sana’a Airport on March 26, 2015. © AFP

Schweizer noted that ordinary people in Yemen are currently enduring “the effects of this escalation.”

The blatant invasion of Yemen’s sovereignty by Saudi government comes against a backdrop of total silence on the part of international bodies, especially the United Nations. The world body has so far failed to show any reaction whatsoever to violation of the sovereignty of one of its members by Riyadh.

As the poorest country in the Arab world, Yemen has 10 million people who need food assistance and more than eight million requiring healthcare services.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/03/27/403602/Yemen-on-verge-of-humanitarian-crisis