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A30 world news
Diabierna 4 December 2020

UN agencies warn window to prevent famine in Yemen narrowing

gency phase means people are
suffering “enormously,” with
some of the most vulnerable
dying of hunger, according to
the statement.

The three U.N. agencies also
warned that the number of
Yemenis currently suffering
famine-like conditions could
triple from 16,500 to 47,000
people between January and
June 2021.

”Make no mistake, 2021 will
be even worse than 2020
for Yemen’s most vulner-
able people," added Beasley.
“Famine can still be prevent-
ed — but that opportunity is
slipping away with every day
that passes.”

In recent months, Yemen has
witnessed a significant drop
in humanitarian aid as key
Arab donor countries failed
to fulfill earlier pledges. Last
month, U.N. humanitarian
chief Mark Lowcock told the
U.N. Security Council that
the $3.4 million U.N. hu-
manitarian appeal for 2020
for Yemen had received only
$1.5 billion, or about 45%. By
comparison, he said, last year
(AP) — The window to according to a joint statement The conflict in the Arab turned into a stalemated re- at this time the U.N. had re-
prevent a famine in war- by the World Food Program, world's most impoverished gional proxy war. Since then, ceived twice as much — al-
torn Yemen is narrowing, UNICEF and the Food and nation began when Iran- more than 100,000 people — most $3 billion.
with a new study showing Agriculture Organization. backed Shiite rebels, known fighters and civilians — have
that millions of people as Houthis, captured the been killed. “Cuts to humanitarian sup-
in the country will face “These alarming numbers capital of Sanaa in 2014, forc- port this year, including food
some form of food crisis must be a wake-up call to the ing the internationally recog- The number of Yemenis assistance, have erased previ-
next year, U.N. agencies world. Yemen is on the brink nized government to flee. poised to face an “emergency ous food security gains and
warned on Thursday. of famine and we must not phase" of food insecurity — a left families with worsening
turn our backs on the mil- The following year, a Saudi- prelude to famine — is ex- food consumption gaps,” the
More than half of Yemen's lions of families who are now led coalition supporting the pected to increase from 3.6 agencies also said. “Next year
population of 30 million risks in desperate need," said Da- government intervened to million to 5 million in the cuts will continue and may
slipping into “worsening lev- vid Beasley, WFP's executive battle the rebels and curb first half of 2021, said the be expanded, unless funding
els of hunger” by mid 2021, director. Iran’s influence in what has U.N. statement. The emer- is urgently received."

Belgium looks to launch limited vaccine campaign in January

(AP) — Belgium plans to launch a COVID-19 cines Agency this week.
vaccination campaign on a limited scale
starting in early January and initially will use In Belgium, residents and staff of care centers for
the shots developed by Pfizer and BioNtech, elderly people will get priority access to vaccines
health authorities said Thursday. along with frontline health care workers. Other
people over age 65 or at high risk for the virus will
The small country with some 11.5 million inhabit- be vaccinated at a later stage, when vaccines that can
ants has been severely hit by the coronavirus, re- be stocked under less stringent refrigeration stan-
porting more than 580,000 cases and nearly 17,000 dards are available. The general population consid-
virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. ered to be at low risk will have to wait longer.

Belgium’s health ministers said the national im- “It means that we won't have a majority of citizens
munization strategy will be rolled out in phases, vaccinated before the summer," said Dirk Ramaek-
depending on the number of doses available. Dur- ers, who heads the country's vaccination task force.
ing the first phase, 600,000 doses of the Pfizer/Bi-
oNtech vaccine will be used, enough for 300,000 The European Union's executive commission has
people since each person needs two shots. secured deals with Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-
GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, BioNTech-Pfiz-
European regulators are likely to authorize the first er and CureVac to allow EU member nations to
COVID-19 vaccines by the end of December or purchase up to 2 billion vaccine doses. The com-
early January, and Belgium wants to start giving mission said once a vaccine is authorized, members
them to people soon after. Both BioNTech/Pfizer should get access to it at the same time, on a pro
and Moderna submitted conditional marketing rata basis,
authorization applications to the European Medi-