Seven million people are now starving to death in Yemen

Ashitha Nagesh for Metro.co.uk

Seven million people are on the brink of starvation in Yemen, after suffering the horrific effects of 20 months of civil war.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, a group of aid organisations which includes Oxfam, the British Red Cross and Islamic Relief, is warning people that conditions in the country are now so extreme that a major coordinated aid effort is required.

Before the war, Yemen imported around 90% of its food – so months of blockades and aerial bombardment have left people struggling to find their next meal.

And it’s not just food. Even basic medicines are scarce in the country, meaning that the threat of disease continues to grow, while the UN aid effort is hugely underfunded.

Saleh Saeed, DEC chief executive, said: ‘Now is the time to save lives in Yemen before it is too late.

‘Children face the greatest risk of starvation – almost half a million infants and young children need immediate treatment for malnutrition.

‘DEC members are already providing treatment for malnutrition, running mobile health teams, distributing emergency food and cash, but they need funds to reach more people.’

Saida Ahmad Baghili, an 18-year-old Yemeni woman Saida Ahmad Baghili, an 18-year-old Yemeni woman who is suffering from severe malnutrition (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/13/seven-million-people-are-now-starving-to-death-in-yemen-6319191/#ixzz4Sselu1Bz