Over 17 million people are suffering from malnutrition and more than 50,000 children died from starvation in 2017
LAHORE: A recent update by the United Nations stated that food that could have fed over 100,000 families had been allegedly blocked from reaching its destination by Houthi rebels, in Yemen. Over 17 million people in the country are already suffering from malnutrition, and more than 50,000 children have died from starvation in 2017. Young children and pregnant and lactating mothers are most at the risk of starvation. The food shortage and its impact are predicted to reach ‘biblical proportions’ soon — meaning that a large proportion of the population might die of starvation. This is the situation when the rest of the world is eating till they are stuffed beyond limits, we have millions that are either starving to death or are on the brink of starvation. They are facing constant bombing and shelling, as well as hunger. It is sad to see that all the groups involved in this war would block food rations just because they hold the power to do so. It is even worse to know that we are mere spectators, looking on as a human calamity unfolds. Every time a war takes place, humanity promises to never let such horrific things happen again — yet we keep failing miserably. We failed in Bosnia. We failed in Syria. We failed in Myanmar. And now we fail in Yemen.
Saad Anjum
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2019.
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