TEHRAN, May 25 - The United Nations aid chief urged the Saudi-led military coalition which controls Yemen's ports to expedite imports of vital food and fuel supplies, warning that a further 10 million Yemenis could face starvation by year-end.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis with some 8.4 million people severely short of food and at risk of starvation.
"I am particularly concerned about the recent decline of commercial food imports through the Red Sea ports," Mark Lowcock, U.N. emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement read out to a Geneva briefing on Friday.
For several weeks at the end of last year, the Saudi coalition imposed a blockade on Yemeni ports. This had a severe impact on Yemen, which traditionally imports 90 percent of its food.
Under international pressure the coalition lifted the blockade, but tightened ship inspections.
Lowcock said commercial food and fuel imports remained "well short of pre-blockade averages".
"If conditions do not improve, a further 10 million people will fall into this category by the end of the year," he said.
Confidence among commercial shippers has eroded due to delays, "including as a result of inspections undertaken by the Saudi-led coalition after these vessels have been cleared by UNVIM," Lowcock said, referring to a U.N. verification system.
In a bid to speed up the delivery of aid to Yemen, the United Nations said last month it was beefing up its own inspections of ships, Reuters reported.
"I call on the Government of Yemen, with the support of the Coalition, to take active steps to boost commercial imports of food, fuel and humanitarian supplies through all Yemen’s ports," Lowcock said.
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