The Yemeni people are suffering a “triple tragedy” as the country is ravaged by a brutal conflict, a cholera outbreak, and the threat of famine, the United Nations humanitarian chief said.
The “vicious and brutal” war is conducted with complete disregard for international humanitarian law, Stephen O’Brien told the Security Council at a briefing in New York.
There is no sign of improvement in the conflict, with number of air strikes per month now three times higher than last year and monthly reports of armed clashes up 50 per cent, he said.
The conflict, which has been ongoing since 2014, is a “deplorable, avoidable, completely man-made catastrophe that is ravaging the country,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien and UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urged the Gulf Arab coalition to reopen Sanaa airport and allow humanitarian staff to enter the country quickly and Yemenis to leave to receive health treatment.
Despite international support for a peaceful settlement, certain parties in the conflict continued to “place personal interests ahead of the urgent need for peace,” said Cheikh Ahmed, who briefed the Security Council via video link from Amman, Jordan.
The suffering of Yemenis has “relentlessly intensified,” with 17 million who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, nearly 7 million at risk of famine and nearly 16 million lacking access to water or sanitation, O’Brien said.
The study by London’s Queen Mary University found eight out of 10 cholera deaths took place in regions controlled by rebels.
The majority of deaths from cholera outbreak have occurred in rebel-controlled areas cut off from supplies due to air strikes and blockades. — Reuters
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