United Nations chief warned that war-torn Yemen is in imminent danger of the world’s worst famine in decades. “In the absence of immediate action, millions of lives may be lost,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as quoted by the news agency. Guterres’ warning comes as the United States threatens to blacklist the Houthi group as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. Aid workers have raised fears such a move would prevent life-saving aid from reaching the country and make things even worse in Yemen.
A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthi group. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as the country’s suffering is also worsened by an economic and currency collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. “In the absence of immediate action, millions of lives may be lost,” Guterres said. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of help.
“I urge all those with influence to act urgently on these issues to stave off catastrophe, and I also request that everyone avoids taking any action that could make the already dire situation even worse,” Guterres said. The UN chief later told reporters that the US’s move to label Huthis could further destabilize a “very fragile situation”. “We believe that any other unilateral initiative will probably not be positive. I don’t think we should rock the boat at the present moment,” he said.
The Yemeni civil war
The war in the Arab world’s poorest country erupted in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital and much of the country’s north. A Saudi-led coalition, determined to restore President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi’s government, launched a military intervention months later. The fighting in Yemen has spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. The deadly crisis has killed over 112,000 people till now.
