Cairo, Sept 21. (dpa/GNA) – Heavy fighting in Yemen between government forces and the Houthi militia is worsening the humanitarian crisis and driving mass displacement, the UN has warned.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), there are around 2,100 pregnant women among the displaced, more than 400 of whom urgently require obstetric care or care for their newborn babies.
The UNFPA published the latest figures on X on Sunday evening, warning that women and children are particularly vulnerable amid a shortage of emergency shelter and sanitation facilities.
Due to the ongoing fighting, delivering humanitarian aid is difficult, as some areas are too dangerous and roads are impassable, the agency said.
The Houthi militia has recently advanced southwards in Yemen. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says at least 105,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Taiz, Lahej and other provinces.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), put the number of displaced people at 125,000, since the start of the month.
Yemen was already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises before the latest escalation. Some 4.8 million people had previously been displaced, either once or multiple times.
Shelter, water, food and medicines are in short supply. Millions of people do not have enough to eat, with many on the brink of famine.
About 90 aid organizations are currently operating in Yemen. To help treat war casualties and other patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRGC) recently delivered 22 tons of medicines to the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa.
These are to be distributed to locations across the country where they are most urgently needed.
Hospitals are struggling to cope because of shortage of medical supplies, and the large number of casualties, the ICRC said.
The organization is also the only international aid organization operating in some parts of the country.
GNA