Yemen: A Humanitarian Crisis of “Unimaginable Horror”

The conflict in Europe has overshadowed reports on the dire situation in Yemen, where at least 19 million “are going hungry” according to the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs, or nearly two-thirds of the total population.

A new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross confirms that the eight years of armed conflict, economic hardship, and deteriorating health services, particularly for women and girls, has resulted in the devastation of the population. It quotes UNICEF that “one mother and six newborns die reportedly every two hours because of complications during pregnancy and for causes that are almost entirely preventable”. Of the 4.2 million displaced people in Yemen since the beginning of the conflict, 73% are women and children.

Moreover, over 20.1 million of the 30.5 million Yemenis “currently lack access to basic health care”. Only 51% of health facilities still function across the country. There is currently a fragile truce in the war in Yemen waged by Saudi Arabia and its allies, which was declared in April and extended last month until August.