100K yemeni children die of Saudi-led war a year

The Yemeni Minister of Public Health and Population, Taha al-Mutawakkil said the continuation of the Saudi-led war on Yemen has endangered the lives of millions of children, killing 100,000 of them annually.

Iran PressMiddle East: Attacks by Saudi Arabia and its allies, he said on Thursday, have not only targeted the health sector but they have also blocked the import of medicine and medical equipment and those for children which are taking the toll on their lives.

Women and children have been the first victims of military aggression since March 2015, al-Mutawakkil added.

At least 12 million children in war-battered Yemen need urgent humanitarian aid, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, UNICEF Yemen Representative, said.

Achim Steiner, director of UN Development Programs, has said that in Yemen a child under 5 dies every 12 minutes.

"A child under 5 years of age dies every 12 minutes in Yemen, mostly as a result of lack of water, basic nutrition, health care and medicines due to the conflict," Steiner said.

Over 6,000 children have either been killed or sustained serious injuries since 2015, the UN children’s agency said.

The humanitarian situation in the country has exacerbated by outbreaks of cholera, polio, and measles.

The Saudi military aggression on its neighboring country has also plagued the poor nation with severe food and drug shortages.

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