UN: Yemen on Brink of Major Catastrophe

Local Editor

UN aid Chief Mark Lowcock has warned that Yemen is “on the brink of a major catastrophe”.

Wrapping up his trip, Lowcock said conditions had deteriorated alarmingly since his last visit in October 2017.

"In Aden, I met emaciated children so malnourished they could barely open their eyes," Lowcock said in a statement.

He further added: "Humanitarian assistance helps many of these children recover. But I also heard heartbreaking stories of children relapsing again and again because their families simply can't afford food or proper medical care."

The United Nations has termed Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has played down the early December schedule and said he hoped talks would start "this year".

"But, as you know, there have been some setbacks," he said on Thursday.
Lowcock said it was "not too late" to pull Yemen back from the brink but warned that more resources were needed.

"Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, but in 2019 it will need to be substantially bigger," he said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team