UN warns Yemen conflict is leading to country's collapse

The UN humanitarian chief is warning that conflict is causing Yemen to spiral downward toward "a total social, economic, and institutional collapse," with nearly seven million people "one step away from famine" and a deadly new outbreak of cholera.
Stephen O'Brien told the UN Security Council Tuesday that "Yemen now has the ignominy of being the world's largest food security crisis," with over 17 million people in need of food. He said "urgent action is required to stem the suffering."
But the UN envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said even serious negotiations on first steps to a cessation of hostilities have been slow.

He urged the Security Council to tell the parties to immediately engage with the UN on steps to end the bloodshed.