United Nations 13d ago

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher painted an alarming picture of conditions on the ground. “Yemen's humanitarian crisis is accelerating. Hunger is rising. Our response is stretched to the limit,” he said, noting that in a single month the share of people unable to meet basic food needs had jumped from half to nearly 60 per cent. More than 18 million people - over half the population - are now acutely hungry, he said. Fletcher said the crisis was being driven by a “lethal combination” of conflict, economic collapse, rising prices and lost livelihoods, compounded by an overstretched health system. More than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, he warned. “Without sustained support, many will carry lifelong consequences.” With the humanitarian appeal less than 15 per cent funded, Fletcher said the UN was being forced to scale back operations. He also noted, “Aid can keep people alive. It cannot give Yemenis the future they deserve. Only a political solution - owned by the people of Yemen and supported by this Council - can do that.”