Yemen is "
now in imminent danger of the worst famine the world has known in decades
", warned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday (November 20), before asking the United States "
not to do so. rock the boat
”.
Read also: In Yemen, millions of children on the verge of famine according to Unicef
The warning, which comes on top of several UN warnings in recent weeks, comes as the United States could list
the Houthi rebels
on its list of "
terrorist organizations
", further complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid. in Yemen.
"
In the absence of immediate action, millions of lives could be lost,
" said Antonio Guterres in a statement, indirectly referring to the American threat.
"
I ask everyone to avoid taking measures that could worsen the already dire situation
," he said.
In a subsequent meeting with media, he was more specific in response to a question about what action the United States might take.
In this “
very fragile situation
” and while discussions are being held with the belligerents to relaunch peace, “
we believe that any unilateral initiative would probably not be positive.
I don't think we should rock the boat right now,
”he said.
As reasons for an increased threat of famine, the UN chief speaks in his press release of a "
drastic reduction
" in aid funding coordinated by the UN compared to 2018 and 2019, of the instability of the rial Yemeni and the obstacles posed by the belligerents to aid workers on the ground.
“
I urge all who have influence to act urgently on these issues to avert disaster.
Otherwise, we risk a tragedy not only in the immediate loss of life, but with consequences that will reverberate endlessly in the future,
”he warns.
If the United States puts Yemeni rebels on its list, interacting with Houthi officials, managing taxes, using the banking system, paying medical staff, buying food and fuel, and also accessing the internet could be hindered.