Millions of men, women and children in war-torn Yemen are facing famine - again, top United Nations officials have warned
“We are on a countdown right now to a catastrophe,” UN food chief David Beasley told the UN Security Council in November last year.
“We have been here before ... We did almost the same dog-and-pony show. We sounded the alarm then.
“If we choose to look away, there’s no doubt in my mind Yemen will be plunged into a devastating famine within a few short months,” Mr Beasley told the 15-member council.
Coronavirus restrictions, reduced remittances, locusts, floods and significant underfunding of the 2020 aid response are exacerbating hunger.
A severely malnourished infant is bathed in a bucket in Aslam, Hajjah, Yemen. Source: AAP
The war in Yemen, in which a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement since 2015, has killed more than 100,000 people and left the country divided, with the Houthis holding Sanaa and most major urban centres.
If you are concerned about the situation in Yemen, there are a number of ways you can help fund emergency relief.
UNICEF
"Today, more than 11 million children - nearly half the entire population of Australia - are in dire need of food, medical treatment, education, water and sanitation," the group says.
"UNICEF is one of the few international aid agencies working in Yemen to get these millions of children and their families the humanitarian support they so urgently require."
Oxfam
Oxfam says it has been in Yemen for more than 30 years, working with government authorities, as well as civil society organisations, to improve the water and sanitation services, and livelihoods of thousands of people living in poverty.
"Our focus is on women's rights, health care, disaster preparedness, and helping people have a say in the decisions that affect them," material from the group says.
Save the Children
Save the Children says donations help provide treatment for children suffering severe malnutrition, train and support health care providers and volunteers, and distribute food and essential supplies to families in hard-to-reach places.
“We urgently need to get high-nutrient foods to the most vulnerable children in Yemen, some of whom are truly on the brink. Just under $90 can feed a family of seven for a whole month. One child dying from starvation is one child too many.” Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children’s Country Director in Yemen.
Donate .
A Yemeni child looks through a hole in the ceiling of a severely damaged house that reportedly was destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes. Source: AAP
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
MSF says it has ongoing projects in 13 governates in Yemen. They have implemented measures to keep staff and patients safe and to ensure the continuation of lifesaving hospital care in all projects, as well as helped other hospitals prepare to receive COVID-19 cases.
"With an estimated 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, our activities in Yemen are among our most extensive worldwide. We work in hospitals and health centres, and support public health facilities across the country providing emergency, maternity, inpatient and outpatient services, and assist in laboratories and blood banks."
