WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Cholera and conflict have jeopardized the lives of some 24 million children across the Middle East and North Africa, while health facilities have been under siege, according to UNICEF.
"Violence and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa have put in jeopardy the health of 24 million children in Yemen, Syria, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Libya and Sudan," the release stated. "Parties to conflicts should put an immediate end to attacks on health facilities."
Water and sanitation services have been compromised, leading to waterborne diseases to spread while there are not enough preventative health care and food to meet children’s needs, the release added.
The release also stated that in Yemen 9.6 million children are in need of food and healthcare followed by 5.8 million in Syria, 1 million in the Gaza Strip, 5.1 million in Iraq, 450,000 in Libya, and 2.3 million in Sudan.
UNICEF appealed for children’s needs to be prioritized in all conflict-affected countries through urgent funding for the health and nutrition sectors, sustained access to all children in need for UNICEF, the release added.
The health situation in the country is aggravated by ongoing civil war, which erupted in 2015 between the internationally recognized government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement backed by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries launched airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) characterizes the situation in Yemen as "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world," with 18.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 10.3 million who require immediate aid to save or sustain their lives.
