UN, ICRC and MSF Warn of Humanitarian Consequences in Yemen Due to Recent Military Escalation

FILED - 24 April 2019, Yemen, Sanaa: A Yemeni boy receives a cholera vaccination during a house-to-house immunization campaign. Photo: Hani Al-Ansi/dpa
FILED - 24 April 2019, Yemen, Sanaa: A Yemeni boy receives a cholera vaccination during a house-to-house immunization campaign. Photo: Hani Al-Ansi/dpa
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UN, ICRC and MSF Warn of Humanitarian Consequences in Yemen Due to Recent Military Escalation

FILED - 24 April 2019, Yemen, Sanaa: A Yemeni boy receives a cholera vaccination during a house-to-house immunization campaign. Photo: Hani Al-Ansi/dpa
FILED - 24 April 2019, Yemen, Sanaa: A Yemeni boy receives a cholera vaccination during a house-to-house immunization campaign. Photo: Hani Al-Ansi/dpa

International organizations have raised the alarm about malnutrition in several Yemeni regions and warned of the consequences of the recent military escalation in the country.

The International Committee of the Red Cross stressed last week that any further escalation could further worsen the humanitarian crisis that Yemenis are experiencing after more than 10 years of conflict.

Civilians must be spared from attacks, the Committee said, adding that hospitals and essential infrastructure must be protected from military operations while aid must reach those who need it.

It also called on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, particularly the need to protect civilians and civilian objects, humanitarian workers and medical teams.

“We remain committed to delivering lifesaving assistance and responding to the urgent needs of those so heavily affected,” the ICRC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned of a crisis as the numbers of malnourished children rise in Yemen.

In a statement appealing for greater financial support following a decline in humanitarian funding for the country, MSF warned that malnutrition is growing in Yemen with needs outpacing current treatment capacity.

It affirmed that malnutrition was particularly growing among women and children, noting that the percentage of pregnant women with malnutrition and severe health conditions have increased, which negatively affects newborn Yemeni children.

MSF said health facilities in Yemen are becoming increasingly overwhelmed with the number of children with malnutrition, measles, cholera and diphtheria.

The organization is present in 13 governorates, treating patients suffering the long-term effects of war and conflict, including malnutrition, child and maternal care, and mental health services.

It emphasized the need for funding to support targeted food assistance for vulnerable groups, especially children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls.

MSF also called for an urgent life-saving response to support overwhelmed healthcare system.

In a related development, UNICEF confirmed that Yemen still records the highest rates of malnutrition worldwide, especially among children.

In a recent report, the UN agency said that in many parts of the country, access to food, clean water, and healthcare remains critically inadequate as a result of Yemen's ongoing conflict and economic crisis.

“This have fueled a devastating malnutrition crisis, with the highest rates globally,” it said.



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.