UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The escalation of military activities along Yemen’s western coast hampers the delivery of commercial and humanitarian supplies to people in need through the port of Al Hudaydah, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said in a statement.
"Increased fighting along the western coast, which is effectively limiting the flow of life-saving commodities, including food staples, into Al Hudaydah port, is aggravating an already terrible humanitarian situation in Yemen," McGoldrick stated on Tuesday.
McGoldrick explained that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have destroyed or damaged roads across the Al Hudaydah governorate and unexploded rockets landed inside the port of the same name. The damage has resulted in further reduction of the number of ships arriving to the port.
Moreover, transporting goods from Aden is a long and costly process, he added.
McGoldrick warned that more than 17 million people at present do not have adequate access to food and are forced to skip meals. Such malnutrition can "stunt a generation" if not confronted immediately, he pointed out.
The coordinator said the best way to avoid famine in Yemen was for the parties to the conflict to sit down at negotiation table, and called on the international community to provide the necessary funds to enable a timely and efficient humanitarian response to the challenging situation in the country.
