Destruction of Al-Hudaydah Could Trigger a ’Catastrophic’ Situation, UN Warns

Local Editor

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that the destruction of the vital Yemeni port of al-Hudaydah could trigger a "catastrophic" situation.

"If the port at al-Hudaydah is destroyed, that could create an absolutely catastrophic situation," Guterres said during a trip to Paris.

The massive invasion has put the safety of nearly 600,000 people living in al-Hudaydah at risk and imperiled the livelihoods of millions of others dependent on the port for shipment of scarce food and humanitarian aid into Yemen.

Yemen is under a Saudi blockade which has put the impoverished nation on the brink of the worst humanitarian crisis in 100 years, according to the UN. 

In their offensive against al-Hudaydah, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are using heavy weapons and armaments, enlisting many mercenaries from Africa and elsewhere amid close aerial support by military helicopters and fighter jets. 

In the same respect, Mariam Aldogani, Save the Children's field coordinator in Yemen, has said the people in al-Hudaydah are living in a "state of fear."

Saudi Arabia launched its devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project [ACLED], the war has claimed the lives of around 56,000 Yemenis so far.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team