UN warns about unprecedented famine in Yemen

United Nations Aid Chief Mark Lowcock warned about continuation of Yemen blockade by the Saudi-led military coalition, saying it will cause unprecedented famine in the war-torn country.

According to Tasnim news agency, he told reporters on Wednesday after briefing the UN Security Council behind closed doors at the request of Sweden “I have told the council that unless those measures are lifted ... there will be a famine in Yemen.”

“It will be the largest famine the world has seen for many decades with millions of victims.”

He said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir earlier on Wednesday and called for an immediate resumption of humanitarian access.

Lowcock said the UN’s World Food Program was feeding seven million people a month in Yemen. “What we need is a winding down of the blockade ... so that we can save the lives of those people,” he said.

“Humanitarian access through the ports was inadequate even before the measures that were announced on the 6th November,” said Lowcock, adding that there had also been no UN flights allowed into Yemen since Monday.

Lowcock called for an immediate resumption of UN and other aid flights to Sanaa and Aden, assurances from the coalition that there would be no further disruptions to those flights, and immediate resumption of humanitarian and commercial port access.

He also called for the Saudi-led coalition to allow a World Food Program (WFP) ship to be pre-positioned off Aden and assurances that there would be no further disruption to its functions and demanded that all vessels that have passed UN inspection be allowed to offload.

ME