(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, April 25 (KUNA) -- Yemen today is experiencing a tragedy of immense proportions after Two years of conflict which has devastated lives of ordinary Yemenis, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday.
"The need for humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians has never been greater. Our humanitarian appeal for 2017 is USD 2.1 billion and only 15 per cent has been met until the present moment," Guterres added in his opening remarks of the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen.
Nearly two-thirds of the population - or almost 19 million people - need emergency support. Some 17 million are food-insecure, making this the world's largest hunger crisis. And seven out of 22 governorates are facing a severe food security, emergency, he explained.
According to the Secretary-General, on average, a child under the age of five dies of preventable causes in Yemen every ten minutes. And this means 50 children in Yemen will die during today's conference - and all those deaths could have been prevented. Many of the children who survive will be affected by stunting and poor health for their entire lives.
"We are witnessing the starving and the crippling of an entire generation. We must act now, to save lives," he said.
"Yemen was pitifully poor even before the current conflict. The war has affected every aspect of life, bringing people to breaking point. Their savings have run out; they have no assets to sell; they have exhausted their coping mechanisms", he explained.
War has devastated the economy, destroyed health services, and forced three million people from their homes - leaving many being unable to earn a living or grow crops. Basic services have collapsed, placing millions at risk of disease and other threats, Guterres said.
The international community has the power and the means to end this crisis. "We are here today to turn the tide of suffering, and to create hope," he said.
Famine can be prevented if "we act quickly and commit to funding crucial life-saving assistance, and if all parties fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law," the UN chief added.
UN agencies and over 100 humanitarian partners are already providing life-saving support across the country. They have reached some 5.8 million people this year. And they stand ready to increase their programmes.
But the lack of resources is forcing humanitarian workers to make impossible choices between the most vulnerable.
Funding alone will not reverse the fortunes of millions of people in Yemen.
Only a cessation of hostilities and a political settlement can bring about a permanent end to the conflict and the suffering of the Yemeni people.
The Secretary-General urges all to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid by air, sea and land. All infrastructure must remain open and operational.
Today's conference must represent a moment of truth, when the international community takes decisive steps to significantly increase its support to Yemenis who have lost so much.
He called on the international community to convert your participation here today into action to support the Yemeni people.
For his part, Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmad Obeid Bin Dhaghar expressed hope that the conferees would succeed in raising minimum USD two billion to fund some of the UN relief programs for Yemen.
Bin Daghar held the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, his followers and the Houthi militias responsible for deterioration of conditions in the country. He also charged that the forces against the legitimate leadership used Iranian-made weapons in the fighting.
He praised a UN plan aimed at opening safe passageways for delivering humanitarian supplies to those in need in Yemeni regions. (end) ta.rk
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