The conflict in Yemen over the past month has taken an “immense toll” on civilians, worsening an already large scale humanitarian crisis in the country, according to the UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator.
Johannes Van Der Klaauw, said in a statement yesterday that since 19th March, it has been conservatively estimated that more than 1,080 people have been killed, about 4,350 people injured, and more than 150,000 people displaced.
THE WAY IT WAS: The Yemeni capital of Sana’a in a picture taken several years ago. PICTURE: www.freeimages.com
Noting that fighting and airstrikes have impacted “virtually the entire country”, he said Yemenis are facing disruptions to the supply of food, fuel and water.
“The country”s airports and seaports constitute a lifeline given that Yemen relies on imports for 90 per cent of its food and most of its fuel,” he said. “However, these lifelines have been hampered as most airports are not open to civilian traffic, and transports by sea are subject to the coalition”s inspection regime related to the arms embargo mandated by the UN Security Council.”
The violence has also seen schools, health facilities and homes damaged or destroyed and an estimated two million children are unable to attend school.
“The country”s health system is at imminent risk of collapse due to shortages of medical supplies and fuel for generators,” said Mr Van Der Klaauw. “Cases of bloody diarrhoea, measles and suspected malaria have increased.”
The World Health Organization reported this week that over the month prior, national disease surveillance reports showed a doubling in the number of cases of bloody diarrhea in children below the age of five, as well as an increase in the number of cases of measles and suspected malaria. A spokesman for the WHO said high rates of malnutrition among women and children below the age of five have also been reported.
Mr Van Der Klaauw called for all parties to the conflict protect civilians in compliance with international humanitarian law and said any efforts to reduce the violence seen in the country are welcome. He also called for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid workers to bring much needed aid into the country.
Recent successes of the Shiite Houthi rebels – who have long been fighting Yemen’s central government and in January seized the presidential palace in the capital Sana’a – prompted a coalition of nations led by Saudi Arabia to launch airstrikes in support of the government in late March.
Yemen is located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
