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A child receives food from an international aid organization
Photo: Mohammed Mohammed / dpa
According to the United Nations, almost 400,000 children are at risk of starvation in Yemen, a country with civil war.
After the seven-year conflict, 20 million people needed help, that is two thirds of the population, said the UN coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly, in Geneva on Monday.
An expansion of the fighting made the situation even worse for countless people, especially in the south of the country.
The worst humanitarian crisis in the world is raging in the country on the Arabian Peninsula, Gressly said.
Gressly praises support from Germany
The Houthi rebels are fighting for independence and have overrun large parts of the country since 2014.
Saudi Arabia has been conducting a military operation against the Houthis with other countries on the side of the internationally recognized government since 2015.
The Sunni kingdom sees them as an ally of its Shiite archenemy Iran.
Gressly praised the generous financial support from Germany.
Nevertheless, of the roughly $ 3.8 billion calculated in March for humanitarian support for the population, only around $ 2.1 billion (1.8 billion euros) were received.
Serious efforts to find a political solution to the conflict are making progress, Gressly said.
But one cannot wait for a ceasefire to rebuild.
The world must not allow a whole generation to grow up that knows nothing but conflict.
People needed work to keep themselves afloat, Gressly said.
The fishing industry must be revitalized, the ports and airports must be opened.
School operations must be started.
The officials would have to be paid enough again so that they do not also become needy.
For this, too, the economy must be stimulated in order to find resources for payment.
muk / dpa