UN Head Warns of ‘Catastrophe’ in Yemen as Famine’s Reach Widens
- Up to 14 million people could be at risk of famine soon: UN
- U.S. has called for talks on ending the war within 30 days
Displaced Yemenis from Hodeida receive food aid in the district of Aslam in the northwestern Hajjah province on Oct. 20.
Photographer: Essa Ahmed/AFP/Getty Images
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Yemen is on the precipice of “imminent catastrophe” as the risk of famine grows, the latest sign of international frustration over a conflict that pits a Saudi Arabian-led coalition against Yemeni rebels in the Arab world’s poorest country.
“Without urgent action, up to 14 million people – fully half the population – could be at risk in the coming months,” Guterres told reporters in New York on Friday. He added that both sides in the conflict should halt attacks and said that he thinks the global community can still prevent “imminent catastrophe” in the country.