The world is turning a blind eye to Yemen crisis

The humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Yemen has gone from bad to worse in the last eight years, Yet, the international community appears to have abandoned Yemen, where millions are on the verge of starvation.

The Yemen conflict broke out in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year to prop up the internationally recognised government.

According to UN estimates, by the start of 2022 the conflict had caused over 377,000 deaths, with 60 per cent the result of hunger, lack of healthcare and unsafe water.

More than 11,000 children are known to have been killed or wounded as a direct result of the fighting. Around 4.5 million people, one in seven of the population, have been displaced, while 24.1 million people, 80 per cent of the population, are in need of humanitarian aid and protection.

Since last year, when the UN brokered a six-month truce that was not renewed in October, nothing has been done. Though there is a lull in the fighting, efforts to end the war and negotiate a peaceful settlement are almost at a standstill.

There was hope earlier this year that a political settlement might gather pace as China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations.

The Saudi-Iranian détente is on course, but its impact on Yemen has not yet registered. It is expected that the reconciliation would involve Iran discontinuing support for regional proxies like the Houthi rebels, who would then agree to be part of the political process. Apparently that did not happen.

By the end of this month, more than four million Yemenis will be facing the danger of death due to malnutrition. The World Food Programme (WFP) said last month that “a deeper funding crisis” for its Yemen operations as of the end of September will force it to make difficult decisions about cuts to its food assistance programs across the country in the next few months.