Attribution
UNICEF
We’ve put together this fact sheet on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
The United States must resume aid to this war-torn and famine-stricken nation.
Hunger and Disease
- 8 in 10 Yemenis are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance
- 10 million people are on the brink of starvation
- Every 12 minutes, a child under 5-years-old dies, mostly from hunger or disease
- There have been over 2 million cases of cholera, leaving thousands dead
COVID
- Millions of Yemenis have compromised immune systems
- Nearly 30% of Yemenis who have contracted COVID-19 have died - by far the highest fatality rate in the world
- Projections cited by the UN estimate that COVID-19 could infect nearly 16 million Yemenis
“With COVID-19 now spreading rapidly, Yemen is facing an emergency within an emergency.”
Conflict
- The Saudi-led coalition’s bombing campaign has killed more than 18,500 civilians
- About 50% of health facilities have been destroyed or closed due to the war
- The coalition’s de facto blockade prevents food, fuel, and medicine from reaching north Yemen
Major Funding Shortfall
- 31 of 41 major UN aid programs were forced to shut down or scale back operations this year
- The WFP has cut food aid by nearly 50%, meaning millions will go with half-rations
- $73 million of appropriated USAID funding has been suspended
- 70% of the Yemeni population lives in areas subject to US aid restrictions
“Families all across Yemen depend on the generosity of the American people to survive. Now they are being punished and now they will die.”