Famine in Yemen is considered a “real possibility” this year. More than three million people – including 460,000 children – are acutely malnourished and the situation is deteriorating on a daily basis.
The UN says 7.3 million Yemenis do not know where their next meal is coming from. The crisis has been brought on by nearly two years of civil war. Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition.
At least 10,000 people have been killed. The death toll from hunger and disease is much greater. A child under the age of five is dying every five minutes.
The international community is being urged to find $2.1bn to help ease the situation. The majority of the population has only limited access to food and medicine. The UN has described the crisis as “catastrophic” and rapidly deteriorating.
What does it take to help millions of helpless people in a country ravaged by war?
Presenter: Sohail Rahman
Guests:
Mahjoob Zweiri – associate professor in contemporary history of the Middle East at Qatar University
Ahmed Alibrahim – Saudi affairs specialist
Emma O’Leary – humanitarian access adviser in Yemen for the Norwegian Refugee Council
Source: Al Jazeera
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