Red Cross Says Food Reserves in Yemen to Run Out Soon

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Middle East regional director Robert Mardini said that "day will come very soon" when Yemen's food reserved would run out, while thousands of people "silently" died as a result of malnutrition.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said food reserves in Yemen, which is at risk of a famine, will end soon, while the charity organization had to stop humanitarian deliveries to the Yemeni port of Al Hudaydah due to security concerns, media reported Tuesday.

The ICRC's Middle East regional director Robert Mardini said that "day will come very soon" when Yemen's food reserved would run out, while thousands of people "silently" died as a result of malnutrition, the BBC reported.

According to the broadcaster, the ICRC had to halt supplies to Al Hudaydah harbor, currently targeted by the Saudi-led coalition military jets, partly in light of not having security guarantees.

On February 22, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said that the escalation of military activities along Yemen’s western coast hampered the delivery of commercial and humanitarian supplies to people in need through the port of Al Hudaydah.

McGoldrick warned that more than 17 million people did not have adequate access to food and were forced to skip meals. Such malnutrition could "stunt a generation" if not confronted immediately, he pointed out.

Yemen's civil war between the internationally recognized governmnt of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement backed by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh erupted in March 2015.

The Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since 2015. The campaign is criticized by international human rights groups for hitting civilians and damaging vital non-military infrastructure.