UN Warns of Humanitarian, Economic Catastrophe in Yemen
The United Nations (UN) has warned that failure to bridge the wide gaps in the budget for humanitarian relief operations in Yemen will have catastrophic consequences for this country
The United Nations (UN) has warned that failure to bridge the wide gaps in the budget for humanitarian relief operations in Yemen will have catastrophic consequences for this country, especially as the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) sweeps fiercely there.
The Yemenis also suffer from other diseases such as malaria, cholera and malnourishment.
Marc Lockock, Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, pointed out during a virtual meeting closed to the UN Security Council, that the Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Yemeni territories.
The death rate of the total number of infections in the country was about 25%, more than five times the global average.
The UN official emphasized that many of the infections and deaths caused by the COVID-19 in Yemen are countless due to the collapse of the health care system, adding that the cost of funeral and burial services in some areas increased seven-fold over several months.
Also the economic situation is still deteriorating and heading towards an unprecedented catastrophe , especially in light of the low exchange rate of the Yemeni riyal and high prices of food.
He continued to say today, the world stands before a difficult choice, which is either to support the humanitarian response in Yemen and to help make room for a sustainable political settlement, or to continue to see Yemen falling from the edge of the abyss.
