Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: Humanitarian catastrophe looms after aid stopped
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The World Food Programme stopped its humanitarian aid to northern Yemen in December, under pressure from the United States. That has deprived millions of vital assistance, and pushed the country back toward a humanitarian catastrophe. The Supreme Council for Humanitarian Affairs in Sanaa said it would have catastrophic consequences for families relying on aid to meet their daily needs amid war and siege. 

Behind the doors of this small shop, Mujeeb Rabash lives with his family of five. They struggle with lack of food supplies and humanitarian aid.

MUJEEB RABASH, Yemen Resident "Physically disabled. Humanitarian aid used to come every six months to Yemen, but now the situation has deteriorated, and life is hard. May Allah protect us. Now, organizations don't provide us with anything – no blankets, no cash assistance, no food supplies, nothing."

In December 2023, the World Food Programme stopped providing assistance to areas controlled by Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis. They claim that the decision is influenced by the United States, despite other countries continuing to provide aid – all in an effort to halt military operations in the Red Sea supporting Gaza.

ABDULLAH AL-NAAMI, Member of Ansar Allah's Political Bureau "Humanitarian issues have nothing to do with political and military fights and should be kept away from military, political and international conflicts. What the United States has precisely done is exert immense pressure on the United Nations and the World Food Programme, leading to the cutting off of humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people. This is a crime in itself."

International organizations say that stopping humanitarian aid now makes the humanitarian situation worse. About 17.6 million people, half of Yemen's population, face severe hunger. This includes 5 million malnourished children and 2.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women.

TALAL SHARJABI, Spokesperson, Supreme Council for Humanitarian Affairs "Recently, the food program has cut one million and two hundred thousand food baskets for one million and two hundred thousand needy families. This means there will be a significant harm to these families who have been relying on these food baskets for years. The impact could reach up to nine million people in these households."

EHAB AL-FANDI, Yemen "Stopping international humanitarian aid will create a humanitarian crisis for Yemenis who rely on it for dear life. It can widen the famine circle in Yemen and cause the deaths of many children. Ehab al-fandi, CGTN, Sana'a-Yemen."

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