Yemen, World ’s Largest Humanitarian Crisis

Yemen 2017 Humanitarian Needs Overview. Credit: Fragkiska Megaloudi / OCHABy Baher KamalROME, Apr 19 2017 (IPS)With 18.8 million people –nearly 3 in 4 inhabitants– in need of humanitarian aid, including 10.3 million requiring immediate assistance, Yemen is now the largest single-nation humanitarian crisis in the world, the United Nations informs while warning that the two-year war is rapidly pushing the country towards “social, economic and institutional collapse.“ More worrying, the conflict in Yemen and its economic consequences are driving the largest food security emergency in the world, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported.According to OCHA, over 17 million people are currently “food insecure,” of whom 6.8 million are “severely food insecure” and require immediate food assistance, and two million acutely malnourished children. The Yemeni population amounts to 27,4 million inhabitants.“We can avert a humanitarian catastrophe, but need 2.1 billion dollars in funding to deliver crucial food, nutrition, health and other lifesaving assistance,” the UN estimates.UN, Sweden, SwitzerlandThe world organisation plans to hold a high-level pledging meeting for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Co-hosted by the governments of Switzerland and Sweden, the conference will take place at UN in Geneva on 25 April 2017.Credit: OCHA “The time is now to come together to prevent an “impending humanitarian catastrophe” in Y...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Armed Conflicts Development & Aid Environment Featured Food & Agriculture Global Geopolitics Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Middle East & North Africa Migration & Refugees Poverty & SDGs T Source Type: news