The Re-Emergence of the Yemen Famine Crisis
Jonah Diaz
Since 2016, Yemen has been suffering from an ongoing famine in which an estimated 85,000 children lost their lives. This number does not include adults that have lost their lives in the country, making the estimated death toll significantly higher. The famine is primarily due to the Yemeni Civil War that has gone on since 2014, as well as other factors like foreign interventions that have contributed to the crisis. Over the past two years, the severity of the famine appeared to be on the decline, but in recent months, the famine's impact on affected areas has become increasingly grave.
To make matters worse, Saudi warships have instituted a series of fuel blockades to keep fuel from arriving in Yemen. This decision has left thousands of Yemeni families to starve, and the lack of fuel leaves people with no means of traveling to locations that can offer them aid and access to other basic necessities. At the moment, about 47,000 people are suffering from the effects of the famine.
Furthemore, at least half of the country’s population is living under strained conditions that threaten their livelihood. Everyday items and living essentials such as food, fuel, and medical supplies are hard to come by, as even hospitals have had to work with meager rations. Many hospitals are on the verge of being shut down completely due to the lack of the supplies needed for them to function safely. With few places of refuge and no means of travel, countless families have been left to die in their homes. Ports in Yemen that had once been regularly supplied with foreign aid have practically become ghost towns, and supply trucks have been left stranded with no access to fuel.
In many ways, Saudi Arabia is directly responsible for the lack of aid available to Northern Yemen, as their warships have maintained blockades and prevented oil tankers from dropping off their supplies to ports and docking towns. In addition, several organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations, have done little to provide help to Yemen in these desperate times. This vicious cycle of famine and poverty in the country will never cease unless the conflict in Yemen is brought to an end. In the meantime, only temporary solutions can be of benefit to Yemeni citizens, as foreign policy changes proposed by other nations to stop the conflict have proven difficult to impose. Hopefully, the Saudi blockade will be terminated soon enough so that aid can reach Yemen before more lives are lost.
If you would like to learn more about the crisis in Yemen or are interested in donating to the cause, visit the links below for more information:
Source:
Comments