Photo by ai@ce
Aid agencies can’t import food into the country of Yemen. This means that 90% of their food supply is gone all because it is unsafe to be in the country.
Per BBC, “The ICRC’s Middle East regional director Robert Mardini warned that Yemen, which depends on imports for 90% of its food supplies, was now living on its ‘reserves’ and that the ‘day will come very soon’ when they run out.”
Famine is not going on just in Yemen. There are three other countries and more than 20 million people who are dying of starvation.
ABC News reports, “On Thursday, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres held a press conference in New York to issue an urgent warning that more than 20 million people in Yemen, north Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan were at risk of dying from starvation within the six months.”
The reason why there’s so much instability and lack of food in Africa, are all the conflicts going on in these four different nations.
The Huffington Post explains, “In many ways, these are unconnected regional crises fuelled by different political contexts and pressures, across a continent that stretches thousands of miles. Each has its own mix of chronic, protracted causes. Climate change and severe weather conditions play a part in Somalia, for example, but the one uniting feature is conflict.”
A port in Yemen had to close because it has been targeted by Saudi warplanes, creating less imports into the nation.
BBC states, “The port has also been targeted by warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition which is backing Yemen’s government in its war with the rebel Houthi movement.”
Out of the four countries undergoing famine, Yemen is the worst hit country.
Per ABC News, “Yemen is listed as the worst-affected country facing potential famine, where more than 7 million people require emergency food assistance.”
The international community tried to avoid this disaster in Yemen, but it was too late when the media started focusing on it.
Huffington Post explains, “We hoped we wouldn’t be here less than a year ago, when the humanitarian community came together at the World Humanitarian Summit and committed to find ways to work differently to end need, including by anticipating crises instead of waiting for them to happen. But these are the crises that are too often ignored until it is too late, marginalised by the media and humanitarian organisations.” A lot of people in Yemen are asking Christians why they have so much hope amid the tragedy in Yemen.
Per MNN, “‘They’re searching for hope and peace, and they’re finding it in the Gospel, even though they know that it will exact a high price. ‘People who see this truth are willing to give up so much, give up everything — even their lives. That’s hugely challenging, but it’s also encouraging to see, seeing how people are living out newly found faith.’”
Pray for an end to the conflict in Yemen. Pray for many to come to know Christ’s hope. Pray for an end to the famine.
BBC: Yemen conflict: Red Cross appeals for access to key port
ABC News: Humanitarian catastrophe unfolds in Yemen as world refuses to act
The Huffington Post: This Is A Worsening Humanitarian Crisis That Shows No Signs Of Slowing
MNN: Yemen: of war, famine and hope
