Sana'a: Yemen is in the grip of the worst famine the world has seen for decades, the United Nations said. As the country faces its darkest hour, the efforts to bring peace to the country are more urgent than ever. But there are some signs of hope. There is no doubt that the enhanced diplomatic engagement by the US is giving new momentum to the UN-led political efforts. If this momentum is sustained, it could create the best chance yet to save lives, stave off a mass famine, and forge a path to peace.
The only question is whether the world seizes the opportunity. Many people have a role to play in this. But what the international donor community does now will be crucial. It is impossible to overstate the horror of daily life in Yemen. Two in three people rely on aid to survive. Nearly 50,000 Yemenis are already living in famine-like conditions. The war has decimated the economy and crushed public services. Life in Yemen for the average person has become unbearable, and children suffer the most.
Children are starving. This year, nearly half of all under-fives are set to suffer from acute malnutrition. This includes 400,000 facing severe acute malnutrition. Many will die without urgent treatment, and those who survive will suffer from the largely irreversible damage caused by the condition.
Preventable diseases like cholera, diphtheria and measles cause the needless death of at least one child every 10 minutes in Yemen. Sick children are turned away by health facilities that do not have medicines or supplies. And every day, Yemeni children are killed or maimed in the conflict.
The only long-term solution to Yemen’s problems is to find an end to the war, and a path towards peace, which is guided by the aspirations of Yemenis. But a political and diplomatic effort will only stand a chance if it is underpinned by a stable humanitarian situation. As the path to peace is forged, we must help rebuild the country, and the public systems, strengthen national capacity, stabilise the economy and – most urgently – feed the children who are wasting away because they are starving.
