BICOM

The UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths has urged the Central Bank in Yemen to “put the brakes on famine” and urgently pump money into the economy.

Millions of civilians in Yemen are facing famine as a result of the Saudi-led coalition’s bombardment of the country. The Saudi Government is also spearheading a campaign of “economic warfare” by refusing to pay civil servants, according to the think-tank Sana’a Center, which aid agencies have described as “income famine”.

The UN envoy told the Financial Times that international action could encourage the Yemeni Government to make the Central Bank act, including by making dollars available to importers.

The scale of the impending famine, which officials say is entirely man-made, highlights the extent to which the economic policies of the Saudi-backed government are causing suffering alongside coalition offensives. Mark Lowcock, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, yesterday called for a cessation of hostilities, particularly “around all the infrastructure and facilities on which the aid operation and commercial importers rely”.

The UN, UK, US, and other international partners, have called for an end to hostilities in Yemen, particularly around the strategically important port city of Hodeidah, which serves as the entry point for 80 per cent of the country’s food and medicine. The ongoing dire warnings over the humanitarian situation in the country have increased pressure for a negotiated end to the conflict.

Griffiths said he is “confident that the parties are ready to work on a political solution and am encouraged by the constructive engagement received from all sides”. While the UK is preparing a Security Council draft resolution that would lead to peace talks, Griffiths will brief the UN Security Council on Friday and hopes to restart peace talks within a month.