New York-Sana
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned today that Yemen is facing "an imminent danger of the worst famine the world has known in decades."
Similar warnings were issued by the United Nations in recent weeks, in light of the US threat to include the "Ansar Allah" movement on its list of terrorism, which would further impede the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people who are facing continuous Saudi aggression backed by Washington.
"There is a risk of losing millions of lives unless immediate action is taken, and I ask everyone to avoid taking any measures that would exacerbate the fundamentally deteriorating situation," Guterres was quoted by AFP as saying, hinting at the American threat.
Speaking about the reasons that increase the risk of starvation in Yemen, Guterres referred to the “significant reduction” of funding for the UN-coordinated relief operations this year compared to the years 2018 and 2019, in addition to the instability of the Yemeni riyal and the obstacles that aid workers face in the field.
He said, "I call on all parties that have influence in Yemen to urgently address these issues to avoid a catastrophe, otherwise we will face the risk of a tragedy that is not limited to imminent loss of life, but has repercussions that will resonate indefinitely in the future."
Since March 2015, the Saudi regime has been waging a continuous aggression and blockade on the Yemeni people, using various types of weapons, which has led to the death and injury of tens of thousands of civilians, massive destruction of infrastructure and a great humanitarian tragedy, in addition to widespread hunger and a shortage of medicines and various basic goods in the country.