\n
\u201cThe simple narrative is, children are dying and it\u2019s going to get worse,\u201d said Julien Harneis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. \u201cMy fear is that we won\u2019t hear about it until the mortality and the morbidity significantly increases in this next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The alert follows an attempt by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to expand their presence in the resource-rich and strategically important eastern governorates of Hadramout and Al Mahra, a move reportedly reversed earlier this month by Government-aligned forces backed by Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
The latest crisis comes after well over a decade of fighting between Houthi-led forces \u2013 who control the capital, Sana\u2019a \u2013 and the internationally recognized government in Aden, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Complex operating environment<\/h2>\n
\u201cIt’s an extraordinarily complicated situation,\u201d Mr. Harneis told journalists in Geneva. \u201cJust in the last month in Aden, we went through a situation where you have the Government of Yemen in charge, then over 48 hours, the\u00a0Southern Transitional [Council]\u00a0<\/strong>situation took over the whole of the Government of Yemen areas, including areas they\u2019ve never been in.\u201d<\/p>\nJust four weeks later, however, a delegation from the STC released a statement while in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, announcing that they had in fact \u201cdissolved\u201d their movement, allowing the Government in Yemen to retake the recently captured areas. \u201cBut at the same time, we\u2019ve got demonstrations in Aden saying that, \u2018No, we\u2019re not\u00a0[disbanded], we\u2019re still there,\u2019\u201d Mr. Harneis explained.<\/p>\n
Last week,\u00a0UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg\u00a0told the\u00a0Security Council that this latest political and security upheaval underscored how quickly stability could unravel without a credible, inclusive political process to bring a negotiated end to the debilitating war.<\/p>\n
Securing a peaceful future for the people of Yemen and providing lifesaving help has also been complicated by the ongoing detention of UN staff and diplomatic workers, among others, by Houthi rebels, who are\u00a0backed\u00a0by Iran\u00a0and control Sana\u2019a.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr. Harneis described the torment for the families of the 69 staff members still being held: \u201cIt’s terrible for them; some families haven’t seen their loved ones in five years. They don’t know the conditions of their detention, they don’t know where they are, they don’t know if they’re going to be sentenced to death in the coming days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millions going hungry<\/h2>\n
Latest UN data shows that more than 20 million Yemenis \u2013 about half the population \u2013 will face acute food insecurity next month, while\u00a0tens of thousands could face famine-like conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are expecting things to be much worse in 2026,\u201d Mr. Harneis said.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
A young boy is carried by his mother thorough a neighbourhood in Al Hawtah, Lahj Governate in Yemen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The country\u2019s health system is also collapsing. More than 450 facilities have already closed and thousands more are at risk of losing funding. Vaccination programmes are also under threat and only two-thirds of Yemen\u2019s children are fully immunised, largely owing to a lack of access in the north.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way that economic and political decisions are playing out\u2026food insecurity is only getting worse across all parts of the country\u201d, the UN aid official maintained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re going to see a major change where the health system is not going to be supported in the way it has been in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite access restrictions, UN partners reached 3.4 million people with food assistance last year, along with emergency support during floods and disease outbreaks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UN has been working in Yemen since the 1960s, helping to make development gains and protect the country\u2019s most vulnerable people. \u201cAnd then suddenly in the last couple of years this breakdown\u2026inexplicably,\u201d Mr. Harneis said. \u201cThat has a terrifying effect on the humanitarian workers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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