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.
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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.