"Countdown to catastrophe in Yemen"; UN warns of extreme poverty
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The United Nations warned on Wednesday that war-torn Yemen is on the verge of starvation as they face COVID along with post-war terrorism.
UN noted that millions of men, women and children in the country are living in extreme poverty as it issued another appeal for money to prevent it.
"We had done several campaigns and tried our best to ensure that it doesn't lead to poverty," he added.
"We are on a countdown right now to a catastrophe. We have been here before and had sounded the alarm then," David Besley, executive director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) told the UN Security Council in its report.
Because of the pandemic, Yemen has received $1.5 billion in aid this year; less than half of the requirement. Last year, it had received up to $3 billion in aid.
Yemen is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
The UN estimates that in the war-torn country where 30 million people reside, 80% of the population requires assistance.
The current crisis in Yemen began nine years ago. In 2011, the people of Yemen took to the streets against the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh due to extreme poverty, unemployment and corruption.
But the hope that the country would improve was dashed when Abdulla was thrown out of power. In 2014, the rebel Houthis conquered the city of Sana'a with the help of Abdullah Saleh.
The country was declared under Houthi control. With this, the Saudi coalition and the Yemeni army declared war against the Houthis. It is this war, which is still not over, that has pushed Yemen into abject poverty.
(edited by Anan Ashraf)
