UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Millions of desperate children and families across Yemen could soon be without food, clean water or sanitation because of the deepening economic crisis and unrelenting violence in the port city of Hudaydah, warned the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday.
"The confluence of these two factors is likely to make the horrific reality facing children and families even worse as more and more war-weary people face the very real prospect of death and disease," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore in a statement.
The costs of food, fuel and water supplies have skyrocketed as the value of the Yemeni currency has plummeted, she noted.
Water and sewage treatment services are at risk of collapse because of soaring fuel prices. This in turn could lead to disease outbreaks and increased malnutrition, warned Fore.
An estimated 1.2 million more people will soon be in acute need of basic water and sanitation assistance, and the number is expected to further climb, she said.
The economic woes are compounded by the situation in the Red Sea port of Hudaydah where violence threatens to kill children and choke off an essential supply chain of fuel and humanitarian aid, she said.
If the port is attacked, damaged or blocked, she warned, an estimated 4 million more children will become food insecure throughout the country.
The only way out of Yemen's nightmare is to establish peace through a comprehensive political resolution, said Fore.
Until then, UNICEF continues its call on parties to the conflict and those who have influence over them to abide by their legal obligations to stop attacks against civilian infrastructure -- including the port of Hudaydah -- and guarantee safe, unconditional and sustained access to all children in need in Yemen, she said.
Five million more Yemenis could face severe food insecurity, bringing the number of people to 13.4 million who need emergency food assistance for survival, said chief UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Monday.
The United Nations and partners need 3 billion U.S. dollars for 2018 to support the people in need across Yemen. To date, only two-thirds of the resources required have been received, said the spokesman.
