Red Cross: Yemenis Live in ‘Unimaginable Horror’
NEW YORK (Dispatches) – A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen is one of “unimaginable horror,” saying two-thirds of the Yemeni people are deprived of basic healthcare due to the devastating Saudi-led war and siege against the impoverished country.
Basheer Omar made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Russia’s RT news network on Saturday, calling on the international community not to leave the Yemeni people “alone facing their fate.”
“It’s just unimaginable horror,” Omar told RT, adding, “We are doing our best to draw the attention of the international community to the plight of the Yemeni people. We’re saying that the world should not turn a blind eye to what is happening.”
In a report released earlier this week, the ICRC said around 66% of Yemen’s 30.5 million people lack access to basic healthcare, adding that those in need of medical attention often risk death to visit the 51% of healthcare facilities still operating in the impoverished country.
The report went on to say that the crisis has been most acutely felt by women and infants, noting that less than 50% of births in Yemen are attended by healthcare professionals, and one mother and six newborn babies die every two hours.
Of the estimated 4.2 million people displaced in Yemen since the outbreak of the war, 73% are women and children, it added.
Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with its regional allies and with arms and logistics support from the U.S. and other Western states.
The objective was to reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen.
The head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council has warned that the doors of truce between Yemen and Saudi Arabia will not remain open forever, as Sana’a accuses the Riyadh-led military coalition of continuously violating a UN-brokered ceasefire that went into force three months ago.
Mahdi al-Mashat said in remarks on Friday that the “enemy’s exploitation of the truce” to extend its siege against the Yemeni people is “unacceptable,” the Lebanese alNEW YORK (Dispatches) – A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen is one of “unimaginable horror,” saying two-thirds of the Yemeni people are deprived of basic healthcare due to the devastating Saudi-led war and siege against the impoverished country.
Basheer Omar made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Russia’s RT news network on Saturday, calling on the international community not to leave the Yemeni people “alone facing their fate.”
“It’s just unimaginable horror,” Omar told RT, adding, “We are doing our best to draw the attention of the international community to the plight of the Yemeni people. We’re saying that the world should not turn a blind eye to what is happening.”
In a report released earlier this week, the ICRC said around 66% of Yemen’s 30.5 million people lack access to basic healthcare, adding that those in need of medical attention often risk death to visit the 51% of healthcare facilities still operating in the impoverished country.
The report went on to say that the crisis has been most acutely felt by women and infants, noting that less than 50% of births in Yemen are attended by healthcare professionals, and one mother and six newborn babies die every two hours.
Of the estimated 4.2 million people displaced in Yemen since the outbreak of the war, 73% are women and children, it added.
Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with its regional allies and with arms and logistics support from the U.S. and other Western states.
The objective was to reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen.
The head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council has warned that the doors of truce between Yemen and Saudi Arabia will not remain open forever, as Sana’a accuses the Riyadh-led military coalition of continuously violating a UN-brokered ceasefire that went into force three months ago.
Mahdi al-Mashat said in remarks on Friday that the “enemy’s exploitation of the truce” to extend its siege against the Yemeni people is “unacceptable,” the Lebanese al-Mayadeen news network reported.
“The doors of the truce will not remain open,” he said after making clear that “our Yemeni people will not accept [the violations] under any circumstances.”
According to Mashat, the constant violations of the truce by the Saudi-led war coalition and its mercenaries have put the armistice at a crossroads.
He then warned that the issue may lead to a return to military operations.%MCEPASTEBIN%