By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN humanitarians on Monday warned of the potentially dire consequences that could arise from disruption to the flow of food imports into Yemen after Israeli strikes on the crucial Red Sea port of Hudaydah.
OCHA said it was assessing priority areas for response in Yemen given that the war-ravaged population rely on imports of fuel and food through both Hudaydah and the nearby port of Ras Issa.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN noted with concern the claim by the Houthis – who control the ports along with the capital Sana’a and much of the rest of the country – that they had launched missiles and drone attacks on Tel Aviv and Ashkelon in recent days.
OCHA also warned that without unimpeded access, aid organizations will be unable to adequately prepare for the rainy season in Gaza, as Israel continues its bombing and ground war against Hamas.
The agency said rain and flooding “will only worsen the already dire living conditions in Gaza, raising the risk of health hazards, and may prompt further displacement of hundreds of thousands of people,” said Mr. Dujarric, to reporters in New York.
Many of the 215 temporary learning spaces serving nearly 34,000 children in Gaza stand to be severely affected by flooding.
“We, along with our humanitarian partners have developed a Winterization Plan to address the most critical needs of more than 2.1 million people in Gaza during the rainy season, which will be their second, given that we are close to the first year mark of the conflict”,Dujarric added
The is plan targets more than 850,000 people across nearly 50 neighbourhoods in flood-prone areas.”
Around $242 million is required to improve shelter conditions, provide warm clothing and blankets, and redirect floodwaters away from critical infrastructure and dumping sites.
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