UN urges Gulf states to step up to avert Yemen famine

IslamNews – U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock urged Gulf states to step up next Monday when the world body seeks to avert a large-scale “man-made” famine in Yemen by raising $3.85 billion for humanitarian operations in the war-torn Arabian Peninsula country for 2021.

In 2018 and 2019, the United Nations prevented famine in Yemen due to a well-funded aid appeal, which included large donations from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, Lowcock said.

The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need. Lowcock warned that if the world body does not receive the money it needs at a virtual pledging conference on Monday “we’re going to see is the worst famine the world has seen for decades.”

“What is alarming and what is different about the situation we’re in now is that there’s been such a big drop off in support for the aid operation that we’ve been cutting aid to starving people – not in an isolated way, in a way that affects millions of people all over the country,” Lowcock said on Wednesday.

Source: Reuters