Yemen peace talks and Hudaydah ceasefire signal hope for country’s children
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
NEW YORK, 13 December 2018 – “Today millions of children across Yemen saw their dreams of peace inch closer to reality with the close of promising negotiations between the warring parties and an agreed ceasefire in the port city of Hudaydah.
“As the Secretary General has said, the agreement to redeploy forces from Hudaydah is especially important because the city serves as the primary entry point for humanitarian aid that is sustaining 28 million Yemeni people. A cessation of hostilities will give thousands of children and families still in Hudaydah a much-needed reprieve from the fighting, while also helping to safeguard humanitarian access and an essential lifeline for the rest of the country.
“We are encouraged by these positive steps and hope that they lead to a comprehensive peace.
“In the meantime, 11 million children across Yemen still need humanitarian assistance to survive, including nearly 400,000 who suffer from the most severe form of acute malnutrition and are at imminent risk of death.
“For these children, true and lasting peace cannot come soon enough.”