Pray Urgently for Yemen
Sixty-day-old Nadia Ahmad Sabri, who suffers from severe malnutrition, lies in a bed at a malnutrition treatment center in Hodeidah, Yemen, on Wednesday. (Abduljabbar Zeyad/Reuters)
David Miliband, president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee and former British foreign secretary, is the author of “Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time.”
“This week, the 1,000th day of Yemen’s civil war is marked by disease and starvation rather than peace talks and humanitarian aid. This truly is the new world disorder: an increasingly divided Middle East, western diplomacy in retreat, international law undermined. And the options are only getting worse.
There are 22.2 million Yemenis currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 8.4 million are at serious risk of starvation. The number of cholera cases has just passed 1 million – an astonishing figure. In the standoff between Saudi Arabia (backed by the United States) and Iran, civilians are paying a horrific price. Yemen suffered more airstrikes in the first half of this year than in the whole of 2016. According to the United Nations, airstrikes killed 136 Yemeni civilians in an 11-day span earlier this month. Peace talks are nowhere in sight.” The latest news is that 68 civilians were just killed in what has been called “an absurd and futile war”. Let’s make a concerted effort in united prayer for God’s peace to come over this terribly troubled land and that these long-suffering people, especially the children, will receive relief and medical assistance. Pray also for peace talks to be held that will result in the ending of the conflict which is the basis for all the horrors that are happening there.