Lowcock: Two thirds of the Yemeni population are now food insecure

SANAA, Dec. 15 (YPA) – UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said that progress in the political track must reflect on the humanitarian situation in Yemen’s Hodeidah agreement and brings us closer to a real cessation of hostilities.

His remarks came during his briefing to the Security Council on the outcome of Sweden talks about Yemen on Friday.

He stressed the need for action and implementation of the commitments by the parties and must be accelerated.

According to statistics, the survey carried out by many international organizations indicates that more than 20 million Yemenis or two-thirds of the population are now food insecure. 10 million of them are severely food insecure.

“I talked to families who fled violence raging in their communities, some of them living for years under a plastic sheet,”  Lowcock said.

He continued saying: “I met young mothers who had rushed desperately malnourished children to hospitals. For some, it was their second, third or even fourth visit, because their families can’t afford the food or medicine to keep them well.”

Lowcock confirmed that what humanitarian agencies have known for a long time, a terrible tragedy is unfolding in Yemen. And it is getting worse. Millions of people are starving, sick and desperate. They have one message for the world: this war needs to stop.

E.M