PressTV & TeleSUR – 2015-10-20 01:02:18

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/UNICEF-500000-Yemeni-Children-Face-Potential-Famine-and-Death-20151019-0008.html

Saudi Airstrikes Have Killed Thousands of Yemeni Civilians: Where Is the UN?
PressTV News Videos

(September 27, 2015) — The Saudi war on its impoverished neighbor Yemen continues unabated; more locations across the country have been targeted by the Saudi military aircraft.

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UNICEF: 500,000 Yemeni Children Face Potential Famine and Death
TeleSUR

(October 19, 2015) — Human rights groups say the US may be responsible for war crimes in Yemen, where Saudi-led airstrikes have killed over 2,400 civilians.

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has reached “disturbing proportions,” with more than 535,000 children facing malnutrition, imminent famine and death, UNICEF senior official Afshan Khan said, according to RT.

The denunciation of the Yemeni children crisis comes as human rights organizations accuse the United States of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Arab country due to the Saudi-led airstrikes that began March 26.

“We are facing the potential of a huge humanitarian catastrophe … The levels of malnutrition that are being reported for children are extremely critical,” said Khan, the director of the UN Children’s Fund’s emergency programs around the world.

She anticipated a nutritional survey will be carried out at the end of this month and that, depending on the results, a famine declaration might be possible.

The United Nations said that currently 537,000 children — a number which continues to grow — are facing famine and already show notable bodily changes. They said another 1.3 million children are moderately malnourished.

The World Food Program recently sounded off alarms over the critical situation in Yemen, as 13 million people have not had access to adequate food, while 6 million more face a “particularly difficult situation.”

UNICEF said fewer than 20 percent of food centers are operating in the embattled country. The UN body warned the situation is likely to worsen soon.

The death toll in Yemen since the start of Saudi-led airstrikes has climbed to 5,400 people, including more than 2,400 civilians and at least 502 children, according to UNICEF.

The United States military has assisted this Saudi-led campaign with logistical support and billions of dollars in equipment and weaponry, VICE News revealed.

The news outlet added that human rights monitors and the UN have heavily criticized the massive civilian toll from such strikes and the US military’s supporting role, while raising questions regarding Washington’s potential responsibility in war crimes and violations of international law in Yemen.

The United States has provided Saudi Arabia with more than US$90 billion in military weaponry since October 2010, including aircraft, defense systems, bombs, missiles and other types of arms.

The United States has also provided Saudi Arabia with vital air-refueling missions, logistics and intelligence support, among other forms of assistance in their war in Yemen.

“It is clear that states providing intelligence and assistance to the coalition, including the US, may be accused of complicity in war crimes,” warned the International Federation for Human Rights director for Middle East and North Africa, Claire Talon.

She accused the Saudis of using Yemen as a laboratory for violent experiments, saying, “This will have an extensive impact in the long term.”

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