At least 21 people were killed and 10 more injured when the Saudi-led coalition bombed an open-air market outside Hodeida in Yemen, UN representatives said on Thursday. All of the causalities were civilians, according to Houthi medical officials.

The bombing raid hit a vegetable-packing facility in the town of Bayt el-Faqih, south of the strategic port, on Wednesday. The latest Saudi-led strike comes six days after its forces fired missiles at the crowded fish market at Hodeida, less than two weeks after a separate air raid killed at least 17 people riding a bus in the port city, and three and a half months after another bombing killed 51 people, including 40 children on a school trip.

"Civilians are paying a shocking price because of this conflict," said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Lisa Grande, on Thursday.

Saudi officials did not immediately comment.

In a telephone conversation with Saudi King Salman on Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the issue of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and urged Saudi Arabia to ensure access for humanitarian aid.

Read more: New Saudi airstrike hits bus carrying civillians in Yemen

Unprecedented threat of famine

In June, forces allied with the Saudi coalition launched an offensive to dislodge Houthi rebels from the key port city. Hodeida plays a key role for supplying food to Yemeni civilians, as up to 80 percent of all imports and aid enter the country through its port. A siege or a naval blockade could spell disaster for the civilian population of Yemen, where 14 million people are balanced on the brink of famine.

"There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen: Much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives," UN's aid chief Mark Lowcock said at the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

The war between the forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi; backed by extensive Saudi bombing, and the Houthi rebels started in March 2015. Some 10,000 people have been killed since then.

The impoverished Arab nation also faces dire economic difficulties, with average income dropping to less than half of what it was before the war, and prices for staple foods nearly doubling.

"The economic collapse is Yemen's silent killer; many Yemenis are struggling just to survive," said Tamer Kirolos, the head of Save the Children group in Yemen, on Thursday.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis War: The 'root cause' of Yemen's disasters The UN has identified conflict as the "root cause" of Yemen's crises. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the war erupted in 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels launched a campaign to capture the capital, Sanaa. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a deadly campaign against the rebels, one that has been widely criticized by human rights groups for its high civilian death toll.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Fighting keeps food from the famished The conflict has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching large parts of the civilian population, resulting in more than two-thirds of the country's 28 million people being classified as "food insecure." Nearly 3 million children and pregnant or nursing women are acutely malnourished, according to the UN World Food Program.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Displacement: Converging crises More than 3 million people have been displaced by conflict, including marginalized communities such as the "Muhammasheen," a minority tribe that originally migrated from Africa. Despite the civil war, many flee conflict in Somalia and head to Yemen, marking the convergence of two major migration crises in the Middle East nation. Yemen hosts around 250,000 Somali refugees, according to UNHCR.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Cholera: A deadly epidemic The number of suspected cholera cases has exceeded more than 2 million and least 3,700 people have died from the waterborne bacterial infection in Yemen since October 2019, said the WHO. Although cholera can be easily treated, it can kill within hours when untreated.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Unsuspecting victims of the'war on terror' In Yemen, violence goes beyond civil conflict: It is considered a strategic front in the war on terrorism. The country serves as the operational base for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, dubbed the "most dangerous" terrorist group before the rise of the "Islamic State." The US routinely uses drones to target al-Qaida leadership. However, civilians have often been killed in the operations.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Children's fate: Future marred by tragedy In a country paralyzed by conflict, children are one of the most at-risk groups in Yemen. More than 12 million children require humanitarian aid, according to the UN humanitarian coordination agency. The country's education system is "on the brink of collapse," while children are dying of "preventable causes like malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory tract infections," according to the agency.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis Peace: An elusive future Despite several attempts at UN-backed peace talks, the conflict continues to rage on. Saudi Arabia has vowed to continue supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. On the other hand, Houthi rebels have demanded the formation of a unity government in order to move forward on a political solution. A peace deal, however, remains elusive. Author: Lewis Sanders IV



dj/jm (AP, dpa)

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