Advertisement

UN warns that 7.6 million Yemenis are ‘one step’ from famine

A family in Mideast Yemen. AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

The director of U.N. humanitarian operations is warning that 7.6 million people in conflict-torn Yemen face severe food shortages and are “one step” from famine.

John Ging, who just returned from Yemen, told a news conference Tuesday that there has been “a shocking fall of support by the donor community” for millions of people who need food, clean water and health care.

READ MORE: 27.8M people globally internally displaced in 2015: report

He says the U.N. appeal for $1.8 billion to help more than 13 million Yemenis this year is just 16 per cent funded and is urging governments facing multiple demands for assistance not to forget Yemen.

A Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government is battling Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies. Yemen’s foreign minister announced the suspension of peace talks Tuesday after weeks without progress.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices