UNICEF calls on Yemen's warring sides to stop impeding aid
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Warring sides in Yemen and their international backers must stop blocking or delaying aid deliveries, a top official in the U.N. children's agency said Sunday, warning that such practices have contributed to worsening malnutrition among children and hampered efforts to fight cholera.
Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF's director for the Middle East and North Africa, spoke as civil war in the Arab world's poorest country — a proxy battle between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran — enters its fourth year.
The fighting pits Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels against Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is allied with a Saudi-led military coalition.