“Yemen is currently witnessing the worst outbreak of the cholera epidemic,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Marc Lokoc, warning that “the United Nations has lost the battle of famine in Yemen.”
This came at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday night, at the United Nations permanent headquarters in New York, to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Since April 2017, more than 1.1 million suspected cholera cases and 2,310 related deaths have been reported throughout Yemen, according to UN statistics.
Yemen is also facing one of the worst hunger crises in the world, with 18 million people suffering from hunger (out of about 27 million), or nearly two-thirds of the population who do not know where to get their next meal, according to the United Nations.
In his statement to the members of the Council, the UN official cautioned against closing the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and called on all parties involved in the conflict to ensure full and safe operation of the ports of Hodeidah and Salib and not to close the roads leading to the two ports.
Since June 13, Yemeni government forces have been carrying out a military operation to liberate Hodeidah and its strategic harbor on the Red Sea from Houthi militants.
In turn, British Permanent Representative to the United Nations Karen Pearce, who called on her country to convene the meeting, said it is necessary to “keep the ports of Hodeidah open and protected and not to affect the military operations on the roads leading to the ports.”
Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Demetri Poliansky reiterated Moscow’s call for “confidence-building measures in Yemen and the region and with the participation of Iran and the Gulf states to support security.”
“Confidence-building measures (not explained) will lead to solutions to the old and new crises facing the region,” he said.
“We must cooperate with UN envoy Martin Griffith, especially as he is impartial and transparent, and we are convinced that the parties to the conflict can reach agreement on the political process and the exchange of prisoners and the status of Hodeidah under international supervision,” he said.