Yemen human crisis hits highest level: UN

The United Nations has declared its highest-level humanitarian emergency in Yemen as Saudi Arabia continues its deadly airstrikes against the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

During a meeting of UN agencies, convened by UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien, on Wednesday, all the participants agreed to announce a “Level 3” humanitarian emergency in Yemen for six months.

The development comes as the UN is already trying to respond to top-level humanitarian emergencies in three other countries – Syria, Iraq and South Sudan.

Meanwhile, in another development on Wednesday, Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, said 3,083 people have died as a result of the ongoing conflict in Yemen while 14,324 others have been wounded.

More than 21.1 million Yemenis need aid, almost 13 million face “a food security crisis” and 9.4 million have little or no access to water, Haq added.

Earlier this week, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that the current crisis in Yemen is putting millions of children in the Arab nation at risk of diseases and malnutrition.

Last month, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy to Yemen, also expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, warning the war-torn state is “one step” from famine.