Spotlight: Amid war, Yemen struggles with acute humanitarian crisis, gloomy future

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Like Most of Yemenis affected bythe longest, bloodiest and most destructive war, AbdullahAl-Sharaby is seeking refuge in a completely burning and desperatecountry.

After his 18-year son, Mohammad,was diagnosed of a strange illness, and his house was destroyed ina rocket attack, Al-Sharaby fled to capital Sanaa this week amidexpanding battles in and merciless blockade on Taiz.

"I have fled the raging war and theblockade that have left Taiz in a sure need of everything. I amaware, war is everywhere and Sanaa may see violence anytime amidbattles in the outskirts, but I had no option except seeking refugein a place which it is safer at least now," he said.

Mohammad's brown skin became quitewhite after the rocket landed and exploded not far from him whilewalking at debris of their house lately.

The family has no resources ofincome and its arrival in Sanaa does not mean that their problem isfinished.

As the war rages, the Arab nationhas to struggle with the growing number of the IDPs, which has nowreached more than 2.5 million. Most of them face shortage in aidsupply.

Abdul Wahab Sharafudin, head of theoffice of the executive unit of refugee camps in Sanaa, said thereare 124,000 IDPs in the capital. "We are continuing to registermore displaced people though there is no aid for them," hesaid.

"Few local relief organizations aremaking modest interventions as we still don't know whyinternational aid organizations are not helping the displaced inSanaa," he added.

Yemen has been experiencing a civilconflict since the UN-backed government was ousted by the Houthimilitants in late 2014.

The conflict triggered a Saudi-ledmilitary intervention in late March which has been deepening thecountry's suffering.

Around 6,000 people including 2,700civilians have been killed and thousands of others injured, the UNsaid.

In addition, Yemeni officials inSanaa revealed that around 80 percent of the country'sinfrastructure has been damaged in air raids and groundfighting.

Nearly 300 hospitals and medicalcenters have been destroyed, damaged and shut down across Yemen,the officials said.

And the UN lately revealed thatover 170 schools have been destroyed, and more than 600 damaged, 58schools occupied by armed groups and nearly 238 being used asshelters for IDPs.

According to the UNICEF, thebombing and increased street fighting across many parts of thecountry has killed at least 637 children, and injured 927 more asof the end of November.

Moreover, all public institutionshave been affected as official statements estimated the country'slosses at six billion dollars, with 2.5 billion losses inagriculture sectors.

The war has also engendered acatastrophic humanitarian situation.

The UN said nearly 82 percent ofYemen's population are crying for basic humanitarian aid.

UN Assistant Secretary-General forHumanitarian Affairs Kyung-wha Kang lately said some 7.6 millionpeople need emergency food aid to survive and two million aremalnourished, including 320,000 acutely malnourished children.

The blockade on Yemen, which wasimposed as part of the Arab military operation, boosted the crisisas it has deprived Yemen of all supplies.

As a result, basic services havelargely deteriorated due to acute shortages of supplies primarilymedicines, food and fuels.

Around 14 million people lackaccess to health care and 19 million lack access to safe water,according to the UN. The UNICEF said some six million children mayfall prey to deadly diseases like diarrhoea, measles and Polio.

International organizations alsohave documented attacks on human rights and heritage sites addingto impacts of the war which observers said is finishing the countrysystemically.

The ongoing war and its previouslymentioned impacts are raising concerns abut the country'sfuture.

UN High Commissioner for HumanRights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has urged the Security Council to takeaction to end the war or Yemen may have to face Balkanization andturn into a safe heaven for terrorist groups.

However, the latest round ofUN-backed peace talks on the Yemeni crisis ended earlier last monthin the Swiss Capital of Ber without major agreement. The talkingparties agreed to convene again later in this month.

"Yemen's peace will only comethrough diplomatic negotiations," Special Envoy of the UNSecretary-General for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a pressconference after the talks in December. Endit

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