Nairobi, 2 June 2022 (TDI): Oxfam has urged all parties involved in Yemen’s conflict to extend the current truce. This will aid in avoiding terrible starvation and prevent the humanitarian situation in Yemen from rising out of control.
After seven years of conflict, the two-month truce, which is set to end on June 2, has given the country hope. The conflict in Ukraine has harmed global food supplies and driven up food costs.
This is exacerbating one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises. Yemen has 3.5 million people that are very malnourished. Hunger affects 17.4 million individuals worldwide.
Yemen imports 90% of its food, including almost 42% of its wheat, which comes from Ukraine. This is a requirement in a country where millions of people rely on bread as their primary source of nutrition.
Famine-like circumstances are expected to expand fivefold, according to the UN. Even before the impact of the Ukraine crisis on food supplies became clear, this was the case. The first nationwide truce since 2016 has resulted in fewer civilian deaths.
As a result, airstrikes and ground combat have decreased dramatically. Flights from Sana’a International Airport have resumed. While negotiations for the reopening of the route to Taiz continue, fuel ships have been able to enter Hudaydah port.
Furthermore, the truce has allowed humanitarian aid to reach hard-hit communities. These communities were previously difficult to reach. This was because of the ferocious combat.
The truce has offered a long-overdue sense of hope, according to Ferran Puig, Oxfam’s Yemen Country Director. The hope has given people hope that they may be able to break Yemen’s cycle of violence and suffering.
Yemen Truce
All parties must avail the opportunity to extend the truce. There is a need to advocate for a long-term solution. This will only happen when people are ready to prevent millions of Yemenis from starving to death.
Equally important, all parties to the conflict must prioritize the lives of Yemeni civilians. Leaders now have a unique opportunity to create long-term, inclusive peace. They have a chance to help Yemenis get back on their feet.
Leaders must also provide the Yemeni people with the opportunity to rebuild after the unimaginable losses of the last seven years. Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen echoed these sentiments.
Extending the cease-fire period is critical for the millions of people who are without basic amenities. It is also necessary for people who are unable to afford food, water, or medicine due to excessive prices.
Another difficulty with basic services is dwindling economic prospects and pay. According to a UN report released in March, by the end of 2022, the UN anticipates that 19 million people will require food aid.
This included 7.3 million people who were in desperate need. Despite this, the World Food Programme was compelled to lower food rations for eight million people out of the 13 million it had planned to assist due to a funding constraint.
