UN: 22m in Yemen need humanitarian aid

The World Food Program has warned that the war has left eight million Yemenis in dire need of food assistance to survive, Al Jazeera reported

WFP Communications Officer, Frances Kennedy, said that around 22 million Yemenis need humanitarian aid, be it shelter or health-related support.

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She added that the country’s infrastructure has been greatly damaged in several areas due to the ongoing battles.

Kennedy noted that the humanitarian situation in Yemen necessitates putting pressure on political actors in order to end the conflict.

The conflict in Yemen escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains. The group had taken control of the capital, Sanaa, and large swathes of the country forcing the internationally backed government into exile.

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Three years on, more than 15,000 Yemenis have been killed, according to the UN, and millions continue to suffer in what it has declared as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.