Yemen: The tragedy deepens
Yemen: The tragedy deepens
Special coverage: A war fuelled by geopolitical rivals is tearing apart the Middle East's poorest nation. Now famine stalks a landmine-strewn country where millions have been forced from their homes.
2 min read
Yemen was the Middle East's poorest nation even before the ravages of the civil war. Now the people here are more desperate than ever, with much of the country plunged into famine as warring groups block urgently needed food aid and medical resources.
When President Ali Abdullah Saleh was ousted in 2012, few expected him to ally with his former enemies, the Iran-backed Houthis, to overthrow the government in Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, to flee.
Since a coalition of Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, sent their militaries into Yemen to support Hadi in 2015, the situation has worsened dramatically for the people of Yemen.
More than 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed while over 50,000 have been wounded and millions displaced from their homes.
Apartment buildings, World Heritage sites and even hospitals have been targeted by the warring parties.
A total of 22.2 million people, or 76 percent of Yemen's population of 29 million, are now dependent on some form of assistance. Nearly two million children are at risk of death by malnutrition and more than one million people have been infected with cholera, of whom more than 2,000 have died.
The situation in Yemen has been classified as the highest grade of humanitarian disaster.
Click on our Special Contents to read more on the tragedy in Yemen, as it happens:
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