UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) –Civilians continue to bear the brunt of escalating violence in Yemen as displacement grows and disease spreads, UN humanitarians said Monday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that hostilities have forced 142,000 people across the country to flee their homes, citing the International Organization for Migration.
The world body and its partners continued supporting the response and have reached more than 115,000 people so far, while nearly 20 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding has been mobilized to support newly displaced families and host communities, said the office.
OCHA said the fighting is pushing an already fragile health system to the brink, forcing some hospitals to suspend emergency obstetric care in order to treat the wounded. In response, health partners have deployed more than 20 mobile medical teams, activated rapid response teams and delivered nearly 60 metric tons of medical supplies.
However, the office said additional funding is urgently needed as life-saving medical supplies are rapidly dwindling, and access to many in need remains difficult.
OCHA said that the escalation increases the risk of disease. Across Yemen, 7,800 suspected cholera cases and more than 22,000 suspected measles cases have been reported this year.
The World Health Organization warned that overcrowding, unsafe water and poor sanitation in displacement sites are driving up the risk of further disease outbreaks, with cholera alerts already being raised at some sites.
Since the beginning of August and as of Sept. 26, the UN Human Rights Office has verified 42 people killed and 115 injured. Half of those killed were children. Nearly two-thirds of those injured are women and children.
OCHA called on all parties to protect civilians and to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
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