Aid organizations working in Yemen are extremely concerned about the escalation of fighting across the country. Since an attack on the Sa'ada city water reservoir last week, around 120,000 people have lost effective access to clean water.
The attack on Sa'ada came amid an escalation of violence across the country, which has seen a 60 percent increase in civilian casualties in the last three months of 2021 compared to the previous quarter.
Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the seven-year war that has resulted in one of the world's greatest humanitarian crises.
All parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and take all necessary measures to protect civilians and public infrastructure, including health care, education and water supplies, while hostilities are ongoing.
Yemen is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world with 15.4 million people in need of assistance to access water and sanitation, 8.7 million of whom are in acute need. Disrupting one of the most basic needs of Yemenis also increases the risk of an increase in communicable diseases such as cholera and increases the likelihood of malnutrition.
Credit: Giles Clarke/OCHA
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