Saudi siege could kill more hunger-stricken kids in Yemen: UNICEF

The UN children’s fund has voiced alarm over humanitarian repercussions of the crippling Saudi blockade against Yemen, where some 400,000 kids are already at risk of death due to acute malnutrition.

 

The UN children’s fund has voiced alarm over humanitarian repercussions of the crippling Saudi blockade against Yemen, where some 400,000 kids are already at risk of death due to acute malnutrition.

In a statement issued late Thursday, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake warned that “the recent closure of all ports and airports is making an already catastrophic situation even worse.”

Earlier this week, the Saudi military tightened the blockade against Yemen, closing all ports and halting aid shipments after Yemeni forces fired a missile that hit near Riyadh amid their retaliatory operations.

The blockade was first imposed in March 2015, when Riyadh and a coalition of its allies unleashed a brutal military campaign against the poorest Arabian Peninsula state.

The recent closures have further hindered the flow of aid supplies to the impoverished country, drawing sharp criticisms from the UN and several international aid groups.