Iran warns of serious famine, starvation in Yemen

Rasa - Iran has warned about the serious threat posed by famine and starvation, as preludes to a possible human disaster, in Yemen, urging the international community to adopt strategies to prevent them.

News ID: 429987

Date: 30 May 2017 - 18:36

RNA - “The continuation of war and bombardment as well as the continuation of aerial and naval blockade in Yemen have led to a huge portion of this country’s people facing famine and hunger,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday.

He pointed to the ongoing developments in Yemen and the deterioration of humanitarian situation in the war-stricken country and added that the Yemeni people were facing “very difficult” conditions.

He called on international organizations and societies to make more efforts to dispatch humanitarian aid to Yemen given the outbreak of different diseases, especially cholera, in the war-hit country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on May 23 a 50-percent increase in cholera cases in Yemen.

WHO announced that 35,217 cases had been recorded since April 27 when the outbreak started, saying the number showed a 50-percent leap in cases compared to figures given by the organization last week.

Cholera, which causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and could prove fatal in up to 15 percent of untreated cases.

The Iranian spokesperson said there was no sufficient action to resume political talks in Yemen and urged the international community to encourage all political groups to hold negotiations.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards a political strategy through negotiations among all political sides in Yemen and the formation of a broad-based government as the only solutions to the existing situation in the country,” Qassemi pointed out.

Saudi Arabia has been waging war on Yemen since 2015 to restore a former president who was friendly to Riyadh. The invasion, in which the US also provides assistance to Saudi Arabia, has killed thousands of civilians.

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