Thirty-five Yemeni and international NGOs called Wednesday for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Yemen, where they warned 14 million people were now on the brink of famine.
The joint appeal was signed by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Action Against Hunger, CARE International, Oxfam, Doctors of the World, and Yemeni organizations, according to a statement.
“With 14 million men, women and children on the brink of famine — half the country’s population — there has never been a more urgent time to act,” the statement said.
It called on governments to “secure an immediate cessation of hostilities” and “suspend the supply of arms at risk of being used in Yemen”.
“The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is manmade and a direct consequence of the warring parties’ severe restrictions on access to food, fuel, medical imports and humanitarian aid,” the statement added.
“The collapse of the Yemeni rial and the non-payment of public sector workers is adding to the catastrophe.
The statement also appealed for guaranteeing an access of aid delivery through Hodeidah post which has been blockaded by Saudi-led coalition.
“We call on governments to redouble their efforts to guarantee unimpeded access to essential items… including through the lifeline port of Hodeidah, where civilians have been caught in renewed fighting over the past few days.”
Yemen has been since March 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led Coalition, in a bid to restore control to fugitive president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who is Riyadh’s ally.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured in the strikes launched by the coalition, with the vast majority of them are civilians.
The coalition, which includes in addition to Saudi Arabia and UAE: Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Kuwait, has been also imposing a harsh blockade against Yemenis.
Source: AFP
