The United Nations humanitarian chief has warned that Yemen is on the verge of widespread famine, with about half of the population completely relying on humanitarian aid for survival.
Addressing the Security Council on Tuesday, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said there is a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen.
Lowcock told the UN’s most powerful body that this famine would be much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives.
He said that the situation is now much graver than when the world governing body last warned of a risk of famine at the beginning of 2017 and again last November, because of the sheer number of people at risk.
According to Lowcock, last month’s estimate that eleven million people could soon face pre-famine conditions actually stood closer to fourteen million, which is about half of Yemen’s population.
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