‘Countdown to Catastrophe’ in Yemen As UN Again Warns of Famine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The United Nations once again warned millions of men, women and children in war-torn Yemen are facing famine as it issued yet another appeal for more money to prevent it.
“We are on a countdown right now to a catastrophe,” UN World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.
“We have been here before … We did almost the same dog-and-pony show. We sounded the alarm then,” the head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN body said.
The UN describes Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80 percent of the country’s 30 million people in need of help as a result of the ongoing Saudi-led war on the impoverished Arab country.
“If we choose to look away, there’s no doubt in my mind Yemen will be plunged into a devastating famine within a few short months,” Beasley told the 15-member council.
The Saudi-led coalition invaded Yemen in 2015. Since then, over 100,000 people have been killed, according to the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
