UN: Continued Blockade Will Lead Yemen to Face the World's Largest Famine

Mark Lowcock, head of the United Nations humanitarian aid section, warned on Wednesday that if the Saudi-led Arab coalition continues to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Yemen, the country will face the largest famine in the world in recent decades. Following missile fire at Riyadh by Houthi Shiite militants, the Saudi-led military coalition announced on Monday that it would block land, air, and sea routes to Yemen to stop the transfer of weapons from Iran to the Houthi rebels. According to Reuters, this action by the Arab coalition could worsen the situation in Yemen, where currently seven million people are at risk of famine and 900,000 are infected with cholera. Lowcock attended a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council at Sweden's request on Wednesday, where he presented a report on the situation to council members. After the meeting, Lowcock told reporters, "I told Security Council members that if these actions (the blockade of Yemen) are not lifted, there will be famine in Yemen." The head of the UN humanitarian aid section emphasized that the largest famine the world has faced in decades will occur, and millions will suffer. Lowcock also mentioned that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres contacted Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday, calling for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid to Yemen. He added that the World Food Programme is currently providing food for seven million people in Yemen each month. "What we need now is for the blockade to be reduced so that we can save these people's lives." In this context, Sebastian Cardy, Italy's ambassador and current president of the Security Council, also expressed the council's concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen. Cardy stated that Security Council members emphasized that all ports in Yemen, including the port of Hudaydah, must remain open for humanitarian aid and other essential needs. Meanwhile, Lowcock noted that access to Yemen's ports was insufficient even before the blockade was announced on Monday. He added that since Monday, UN aircraft have also not been allowed to land in Yemen. This UN official called for the resumption of all flights to Sanaa and Aden. The Houthi Shiite militants, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, seized Yemen's capital in 2014 alongside forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries in the region have been conducting military operations in Yemen since 2015 to counter the Houthi militants.