UN to warn of famine conditions in Yemen: report

A branch of the United Nations dealing with availability of food worldwide has reportedly determined that Yemeni civilians are enduring a famine.

Two sources close to the World Food Program told Foreign Policy magazine that the agency plans to designate several rebel-controlled cities as areas of famine because of the lack of available food for roughly 73,000 inhabitants in the areas.

{mosads}Yemen, which is in the midst of a civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Iranian-aligned Houthi rebel forces, is the site of some of the worst humanitarian conditions on Earth. More than 3.3 million people in the area are facing food shortages that do not fall under extreme famine conditions, according to Foreign Policy.

“Millions are without enough to eat, clean water to drink, and other basics like health care,” Oxfam America representative Scott Paul told the magazine of conditions in Yemen.

“Continued fighting continues to claim lives, spread fear, and limit who can afford basic necessities,” he added.

Senators this week voted to move a resolution to the full Senate floor that would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led military effort in Yemen, which has been criticized as unduly dangerous to civilians and re-examined by lawmakers on Capitol Hill following Saudi Arabia’s admission of involvement in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist.

The Trump administration has warned against the resolution, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said would embolden Iran and Houthi forces in the region.

“We made clear that they’re considering debating a resolution on the Senate floor which we think is just poorly timed,” Pompeo told reporters. “It would encourage the Houthis. It would encourage the Iranians. It would undermine the fragile agreement for everyone to go to Sweden and have this discussion.”