7/10/2020 0 Comments The Crisis in YemenOver 80 percent of the population in Yemen is in need of humanitarian assistance, making Yemen the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. The country has been in a civil war since 2015, and as the conflict climbs, it’s turning into devastation for Yemen children. On top of that, the country is facing another emergency: COVID-19.
“More than five years of conflict have left Yemenis hanging on by a thread, their economy in tatters, their institutions facing near-collapse,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Two million Yemeni children are suffering from acute malnutrition, which could stunt their growth and affect them throughout their lives.” UN Humanitarian Coordinator and conference co-host Mark Lowcock explains that after five years of “economic collapse, destroyed infrastructure, hunger, disease and displacement”, the coronavirus is the latest catastrophe to hit the country. The country is facing many struggles at once. Several diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever threaten Yemeni. In addition, Over 80,000 people have been forced from their homes from the start of the year. The UN chief says that even basic health measures are difficult when half the population doesn’t have clean water to wash their hands. With health facilities not working and a lack of proper equipment, Yemen struggles to tackle COVID-19 in general, let alone alongside war. “Tackling COVID-19 on top of the existing humanitarian emergency requires urgent action”, the UN Chief emphasized. COVID-19 is currently spreading more rapidly in Yemen compared to other countries. “We must preserve the major humanitarian aid operation that is already underway – the world’s largest – while developing new public health programmes to fight the virus and strengthen healthcare systems”. “Ending the war is the only way to address the health, humanitarian and human development crises in Yemen.” the UN Chief stresses. “Yemenis desperately need peace.
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On June 29, 2020, Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to annex select Palestinian territories which include the Jordan Valley and approximately 30% of the West Bank (The Guardian).
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres along with the “EU and key Arab countries have all warned that annexation would violate international law and all but destroy any remaining hopes of establishing a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel” (The Guardian). While Netanyahu is optimistic about his plan potentially being implemented, Israel’s alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz has stated that Israel should focus its efforts on Coronavirus before the annexation of territory. Benny Gantz has also made it very clear that a solution in this area must include talks with the Palestinains “to arrive at an outline that benefits all sides in a responsible, proportional and reciprocal manner” (The Guardian). Despite Coronavirus dominating the world news and garnering the attention of many Israelis, Israel’s next steps with Palestine will determine the future of Israel and the Middle East as a whole. Works Cited Beaumont, Peter, and Rosie Scammell. “Netanyahu's Annexation Plan in Disarray as Gantz Calls for Delay.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 29 June 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/29/netanyahus-annexation-plan-in-disarray-as-gantz-calls-for-delay. |