Yemen is now the world’s third largest hunger crisis, with more than 18 million people projected to be acutely food insecure by September, according to a press release issued by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The press release was issued marking World Humanitarian Day, "an occasion to reflect on the plight of the millions of people around the world—including in Yemen—who are caught up in crises, and to reaffirm our shared responsibility to " protect the humanitarian lifelines they depend on..
OCHA, on behalf of 68 aid organizations in Yemen, stated that 17 incidents of violence against humanitarian personnel and assets have been recorded across Yemen. Dozens of personnel from UN, non-governmental and civil society organizations continue to be arbitrarily detained by the Houthi rebels. The humanitarian community continues to call for the protection of all aid workers and the unconditional and immediate release of detained.
Targeting humanitarian workers, the press release noted, is not only a violation of International Humanitarian Law, but also an indirect attack on the millions of vulnerable people they serve. Humanitarian workers must be protected at all times and must be able to carry out their life-saving work safely and without interference or undue restrictions.
The press release concluded that “Despite tremendous challenges, humanitarians in Yemen have not stopped and will not give up in their efforts to save lives and alleviate suffering across the country, working hand-in-hand with the communities they serve. This year, 155 aid organizations have reached more than 3.2 million people every month with vital aid such as clean water, food, health care, protection assistance, shelter, non-food items and cash.