HORRIFYING images have emerged of a malnourished teenage girl in the city of Houdieda, Yemen.
18-year-old Saida Ahmad Baghili, is currently receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition at al-Thawra Hospital in the Red Sea port city.
Yemen has been devastated by civil war, as government-loyal forces battle ultra-conservative Houthi rebels.
The conflict began in 2015 when Houthi rebels captured the capital Sana’a
Air-strikes by a multinational coalition led by Saudi Arabia have resulted in over 6,800 deaths since March of last year – while a blockade has provoked a humanitarian crisis.
The most recent airstrike, which rebel leaders claim was a Saudi airstrike, saw 140 people killed at a funeral near Sana’a – leading witnesses to accuse Saudi Arabia of war crimes in the poverty-stricken Middle Eastern nation.
According to the World Food Programme, more than half of Yemen’s population – 28 million peple – are short of food, with the country on the brink of famine according to the United Nations.
Meanwhile as of August, at least 370,000 children were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, like Saida – and 3 million Yemenis need urgent nutrition assistance.
Last month, a leaked report showed MPs are urging Britain to suspend its lucrative arms sales to Saudi Arabia over war crimes allegations directed towards the Arab nation.