According to the European Union, Yemen is currently undergoing the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”
The EU has called for the country’s citizens to receive protection, as several hundred have died due to the country’s three-year-long conflict. The EU’s decisive statements were mainly triggered by recent violent attacks to the city of Hodeidah, which left over fifty people dead and was attributed to the Saudi-Emirati presence in the zone.
The EU released a statement soon after this event, showing its concern for the nation’s future and its citizens’ safety. It read:
The consecutive air strikes in the city of Hodeidah have once again claimed dozens of lives with many people injured. This is a tragic reminder that in Yemen the international humanitarian law – in place to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in times of war – continues to be broken on a daily basis.”
Yemen’s government is currently working to retake the city alongside forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The country has been facing increasingly concerning and violent events since 2014 when the Houthis took over most of the country. The attacks have directly affected Yemen’s population. The EU reports that frequent bombings have destroyed schools, medical facilities, residential areas, markets, water systems, ports, and airports, especially in highly populated areas.
The situation became more complicated when the UN’s envoy to Yemen recently invited the country’s warring factions to a meeting. The EU urged the representatives of both parties to be open minded and negotiate wisely. The organization’s statement read:
“The only solution that can put an end to the extreme suffering of the Yemeni people is a negotiated political solution.”
The envoy has stated that the meeting will focus on setting “the framework for negotiations, to agree on relevant confidence-building measures and specific plans for moving the process forward”.
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