(OCHA) – As I noted in my remarks to the Security Council on Friday, I have been deeply moved by the terrible, entirely avoidable human suffering in Yemen. As you know, millions of people in Yemen are facing a triple tragedy: the spectre of famine, the world’s largest ever single-year cholera outbreak, and the daily deprivation and injustice of a brutal conflict. The statistics are familiar to all of us: 17 million Yemenis do not know if or where they will get their next meal; nearly 7 million are facing the threat of famine; nearly 16 million lack access to water or sanitation; and more than half a million suspected cases of cholera have been reported in only the last four months, with the latest figure of 2,000 deaths. When looking at these figures, we must remember that Yemen’s catastrophe is entirely man-made. It is a direct result of the deliberate policies, tactics and actions of the parties to the conflict, and as such, it can and must be stopped.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien Statement to Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Yemen
New York, NY 10168
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