The fundamental human rights of millions of Yemenis have been stripped away by more than six years of devastating conflict, and the shortage of funding for humanitarian help, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
Access to shelter, adequate food, clean water, education and medical care has become non-existent, in some cases – and for many, impossibly costly.
With inflation escalating and the Yemen riyal depreciating very rapidly, more and more Yemeni families are being pushed into crushing debt or homelessness.
The pandemic has had devastating impact on the livelihoods of Yemeni workers and farmers.
It is also straining the capacity of health-care facilities, already reduced by attacks by all sides during this conflict, in contravention of international humanitarian law.
I cannot overstate the scale of need. The people of Yemen look to us for hope, for help – for life.
More than 16 million people face the pain, weakness and permanent health threats associated with prolonged malnutrition. A generation of children is threatened by stunting or failure to thrive.
The consequences of prolonged hunger – or famine – on this scale, will reach across the region, and for many generations.
Women; internally displaced people and migrants; the widely discriminated Muhamasheen community; members of religious minorities; and people with disabilities often bear a double or triple burden. Discrimination has been exacerbated during these years of conflict, and it is growing even worse under COVID 19.
The verified total civilian casualties since March 2015 now amounts to well over 20.000 – more than 5000 of them children.
The people of Yemen have suffered beyond human endurance. They need extensive humanitarian assistance; political support for the peace talks; and to the extent possible, enhanced protection for especially vulnerable groups.