UNICEF: Children in Hodeidah hospital at risk of death

HODEIDAH, Nov. 7 (YPA) – UNICEF confirmed that children at Al Thawra Hospital in Hodeidah province face imminent death.
In statement, the UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said on Tuesday that at least 59 children at al-Thawra hospital are in danger, including 25 who are currently in the intensive care unit, as fighting intensified in the Yemeni port city.
The statement said about 40 percent of the 400,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen live in Hodeidah and the surrounding areas, and some of the most sick are being transferred to hospital for urgent care.
Fore pointed out that the risk now threatens access and exit from the only hospital working in the region.
The Executive Director called for a cessation of hostilities to ensure that civilians can safely reach the hospital and ensure compliance with the law to stop attacks on civilians and infrastructure, including the port of Hodeidah.
Fore warned of catastrophic loss of lives if the port is damaged, destroyed or blocked, adding the city’s port is also extremely important, as “up to 80 percent of Yemen’s humanitarian supplies, fuel and commercial goods” are delivered there.
Further escalation in fighting will highlight UNICEF efforts to provide assistance, including life-saving supplies such as medicines, clean water and curative food, to treat children suffering from acute malnutrition, the statement said.