Media reactive: Oxfam response to UN announcement of worsening hunger in Yemen

In response to the UN’s announcement of worsening hunger in Yemen, Josephine Hutton, Oxfam’s regional programme manager, said: "Yemen has been on a slow downward road to starvation for many months and the growing number of people going hungry shows its descent is gathering pace. The ongoing fighting, indiscriminate attacks on civilians by both sides, the sieges and the restrictions on commercial food imports and other goods means more than half the country's population is now critically hungry and in urgent need of support. 

"People desperately need food and water, they need medicine and health services, they need aid that can reach them; but ultimately they need the conflict to end so that they can put their lives together before it is too late. All those fueling Yemen's tragedy need to stop being arms brokers and start becoming peace brokers. It’s time the UK and the international community redoubled efforts and used all tools at their disposal to help bring this crisis to a peaceful resolution." 

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Melanie Gallant
Media Relations
613-240-3047