22 million Yemenis now in need of aid: UN
Dubai, (MILLAT ONLINE):More than three-quarters of Yemenis are now in need of humanitarian aid as the war between rebels and
coalition-backed government nears its fourth year, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Some 8.4 million people are at risk of famine, up from 6.8 million in 2017, the UN humanitarian
affairs office (OCHA) said.
A total of 22.2 million people, or 76 percent of Yemen’s population of 29 million, are dependent
on some form of assistance, an increase of 1.5 million people over the past six months.
On Monday, a ship carrying four US-purchased mobile cranes docked in the main rebel-held
port of Hodeida.
Around 70 percent of Yemen’s imports pass through Hodeida and UN spokesman Stephane
Dujarric said the cranes will “significantly boost the discharge of humanitarian cargo”.
“This will allow for faster delivery of relief items for Yemeni families in the grips of the world’s
biggest hunger crisis,” he said.
But UN aid officials warn that access for humanitarian deliveries remains a concern even
if the blockade is lifted.