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Jaishankar meets UN trade chief on sidelines of G20

The UN trade chief and EAM agreed that “G20 plays an important role in alleviating concerns of Global South.”…reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held meetings with various dignitaries on the sidelines of the G20 development ministers’ meeting in Varanasi.

“A good meeting with Secretary General of UN Conference on Trade & Development, Rebeca Grynspan on G20DMM sidelines,” Jaishankar tweeted after meeting Grynspan.

Global South. Will also work closely to ensure the advancement of SDG goals,” he tweeted further.

He also met Australian development minister Pat Conroy on the sidelines of the meeting.

“Glad to welcome Australian Development Minister Pat Conroy in Varanasi for the G20DMM. Naturally, we spoke about PM Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Australia. Also discussed how our two countries can cooperate on development issues in the Pacific,” Jaishankar said.

The event that began on Sunday will continue till June 13.

The meeting is held as part of India’s G20 Presidency, will also see a special video address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Jaishankar will chair the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting scheduled between June 11-13 and a total of 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting.

The Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi takes place in the midst of mounting developmental challenges that have been made worse by the slowdown in the global economy, debt distress, the effects of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, rising poverty and inequality, the cost of living crisis, supply chain disruptions around the world, and geopolitical tensions and conflicts.

The G20 Development Ministerial meeting is an opportunity to collectively agree on actions for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering synergies between the development, environment and climate agendas while avoiding costly trade-offs that hold back progress for the developing countries, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in its release.

The Varanasi gathering follows the Voice of the Global South Summit, which was hosted by India in January 2023.

The decisions made at the Varanasi meeting will also have an impact on the United Nations SDG Summit, which will be held in New York in September.

Further, according to the official release, the meeting will consist of two main sessions — one on ‘Multilateralism: Collective Actions for Accelerating Progress towards SDGs’ and another on ‘Green Development: A LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) Approach’.

Delegates from Brazil, Germany, Japan, Indonesia and China on Sunday arrived at the Varanasi Airport. Delegates experienced the culture of Varanasi and attended Ganga Aarti at the city’s Dashashwamedh Ghat yesterday.

Delegates to the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting along with the EAM Jaishankar took part in the Ganga Arti ritual at the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi on Sunday evening. Jaishankar led the delegates on a cruise ride and sightseeing of the ghats.

Earlier, they were welcomed in a traditional way at Namo Ghat. Seeing the cultural artists dance, the delegates also shook a leg. Following this, they boarded the cruise vessel and reached Dashashmaved Ghat. During the Aarti, there was a special Shankhnaad for the guests.

At the G20 Development Ministers’ meeting in Varanasi a new roadmap for the development of global agriculture in 20 developing countries of the world including India will be prepared.

Agricultural scientists from all nations will brainstorm on the issues of agriculture, agricultural education, research etc. in the G20 meeting.

The Varanasi Development Ministers’ Meeting takes place in the midst of mounting developmental challenges that have been made worse by the slowdown in the global economy, debt distress, the effects of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, rising poverty and inequality, the cost of living crisis, supply chain disruptions around the world, and geopolitical tensions and conflicts.

The G20 Development Ministerial meeting will be an opportunity to collectively agree on actions for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering synergies between the development, environment and climate agendas while avoiding costly trade-offs that hold back progress for the developing countries, the statement added. (ANI)

ALSO READ-‘India always ready to help in times of crisis’

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UN backs Sudan envoy

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press at the UN headquarters in New York on April 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E/IANS)

Sources within Sudan’s foreign ministry said that Perthes will not be allowed back into the war-torn country…reports Asian Lite News

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked” by a letter from Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reportedly requesting the replacement of special envoy Volker Perthes.

Perthes and the UN mission in Sudan have been the target of several protests by thousands of military and other supporters who repeatedly accused him of “foreign intervention” and demanded his dismissal.

“[Guterres] is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his special representative,” a statement from UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said late on Friday. “The secretary-general is shocked by the letter he received from General al-Burhan.”

Sources within Sudan’s foreign ministry said that Perthes will not be allowed back into the war-torn country.

Perthes is currently in New York City where he briefed the UN Security Council on the situation in Sudan earlier this week. No information is available on when he was due back in Sudan, where authorities have not given out visas to foreign nationals since the war started.

Al-Burhan accused Perthes of widening divisions in the country by excluding voices who should have been involved in the transition to a civilian government.

Al-Burhan’s army is currently at war with his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The rival factions are currently in the fifth day of a one-week ceasefire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia, during which they have repeatedly accused each other of truce violations.

Neither the army nor the UN has released official copies of al-Burhan’s letter, which reportedly requested the dismissal of Perthes as Guterres’ envoy to Sudan.

It was the latest in a series of moves by al-Burhan, who last week officially sacked Hemedti as his deputy in the ruling sovereign council, pooled hardline military supporters into his inner circle, and is now seeking to reinforce army ranks.

Observers say the UN mission’s presence in Sudan has been problematic for the military since the conflict in Darfur during the 2000s and the 2021 coup.

“The Sudanese regime for a long time has never really accepted the role of the UN. Mr Volker Perthes’ departure is not really a surprise. He knew the future in Sudan was rather bleak for himself,” said Aicha Elbasri, a former spokeswoman for the African Union-UN mission in Darfur.

Sudan’s defence ministry on Friday called on “army pensioners … as well as all those capable of bearing arms” to head to their nearest military command unit and “arm themselves in order to protect themselves,” their families and their neighbours.

A statement later in the day walked back the call to just army “reservists” and “pensioners”.

The recent fighting across Sudan has killed more than 1,800 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

More than one million people have been displaced within Sudan in addition to 300,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries, the UN says.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s acting Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim Yassin has called on retired soldiers and whoever is able to carry arms to report to the nearest army base amidst the ongoing conflict.

“We call on all pensioners of the armed forces, including officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and all those who are able to carry arms, to go to the nearest military base to get armed,” Yassin said in a statement, adding that the move was intended to enable those people to defend themselves.

The statement stressed the Sudanese Army’s commitment to the humanitarian truce based on the moral responsibility to protect civilians and humanitarian aid, and accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of continuing its violations of the truce.

The statement described the clashes with the RSF as a “cities war” which has no time limits, stressing the Sudanese Army’s ability to defeat the remnants of the rebel force.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia and the US announced that Sudan’s warring parties — the army and RSF — are complying better with a seven-day ceasefire agreement signed on May 20 in Jeddah.

According to the agreement, which was brokered by Saudi Arabia and the Us and entered into force on Monday, the warring parties shall guarantee civilians’ freedom of movement throughout the country and protect them from violence, harassment, recruitment, or other abuses, as well as refrain from any violations of international human rights law.

The parties shall also provide security guarantees for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Doctors Union, a non-governmental body, announced that the armed clashes which broke out on April 15 have so far killed 865 people and injured 3,634 others.

In its latest update on the situation in Sudan, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the conflict has forced more than 1.36 million people to flee their homes, including nearly 320,000 who have escaped to neighbouring countries.

ALSO READ-UN official optimistic about restoring peace in Sudan

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UN chief welcomes Russian decision to extend Black Sea grain deal

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press at the UN headquarters in New York on April 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E/IANS)

Outstanding issues remain, but representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN will keep discussing them, he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed Russia’s decision that would allow the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports.

“We have some positive and significant developments: confirmation by the Russian Federation to continue its participation in the Black Sea Initiative for another 60 days. I welcome this decision,” said Guterres on Wednesday.

“The continuation is good news for the world.”

Outstanding issues remain, but representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN will keep discussing them, he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

“I hope we will reach a comprehensive agreement to improve, expand and extend the initiative, as I proposed in a recent letter to the presidents of the three countries.”

The importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative — and the parallel memorandum of understanding between the UN and Russia on the facilitation of exports of Russian food and fertiliser — is clear. These agreements matter for global food security. Ukrainian and Russian products feed the world, said Guterres.

Under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, more than 30 million ton of food have been exported. Vital food supplies are reaching some of the world’s most vulnerable people and places, including 30,000 ton of wheat that just left Ukraine to feed hungry people in Sudan, the UN chief added.

The agreements matter because the world is still in the throes of a record-breaking cost-of-living crisis. And they matter because they demonstrate that, even in the darkest hours, there is always a beacon of hope and an opportunity to find solutions that benefit everyone, he said.

Guterres noted that over the last year, global food markets have stabilised, volatility has been reduced and global food prices fell by 20 per cent.

“Looking ahead, we hope that exports of food and fertilisers, including ammonia, from the Russian Federation and Ukraine will be able to reach global supply chains safely and predictably — as foreseen in both the Black Sea Initiative and the memorandum of understanding on Russian food and fertiliser exports, the implementation of which the UN is fully committed to support,” he said.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed separately by Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul with Turkey and the UN on July 22, 2022. The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days till March 18, 2023. At that point, Russia only agreed to extend the deal for a further 60 days, till May 18, 2023.

As a parallel agreement, Russia and the UN signed the memorandum of understanding on the facilitation of exports of Russian food and fertiliser. But the parallel agreement has not made much progress.

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UN forecasts world economic growth of 2.3% in 2023

The UN forecasts are less than the International Monetary Fund, which said earlier this year that global growth would fall to 2.9 percent in 2023…reports Asian Lite News

Global economic growth is projected to be 2.3 percent in 2023, up 0.4 percentage points from a January forecast, and the prediction for 2024 has dropped 0.2 percentage points to 2.5 percent, according to a UN report released on Tuesday.

“Despite this uptick, the growth rate is still well below the average growth rate in the two decades before the pandemic of 3.1 percent,” said the World Economic Situation and Prospects report issued by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The UN forecasts are less than the International Monetary Fund, which said earlier this year that global growth would fall to 2.9 percent in 2023 from 3.4 percent in 2022 and for 2024 would pick up slightly to 3.1 percent.

The UN said while the outlook for the US, EU and China had improved, “for many developing countries, growth prospects have deteriorated amid tightening credit conditions and rising costs of external financing.”

“The least developed countries are forecast to grow by 4.1 percent in 2023 and 5.2 percent in 2024, far below the 7 percent growth target set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the UN report said.

ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi to visit US for 10 days

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UN lays out blueprint to reduce 80% plastic waste by 2040

UNEP estimates that government promotion of reuse options like refillable bottle systems or deposit return schemes could reduce 30 percent of plastic waste by 2040…reports Asian Lite News

Countries can reduce plastic pollution by 80 percent by 2040 using existing technologies and making major policy changes, the UN Environment Programme said in a report on Monday.

The Kenya-based UN body released its analysis of policy options to tackle the plastic waste crisis two weeks before countries convene in Paris for a second round of negotiations to craft a global treaty to eliminate plastic waste.

The report focuses on three main market shifts needed to create a “circular” economy that keeps produced items in circulation as long as possible: reuse, recycling and reorientation of packaging from plastic to alternative materials.

“If we follow this roadmap, including in negotiations on the plastic pollution deal, we can deliver major economic, social and environmental wins,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director.

The treaty negotiations, known as INC2, will take place from May 29 to June 2 and are expected to result in key inputs for the first treaty draft, which needs to be done before the third round of negotiations in Kenya in November.

UNEP estimates that government promotion of reuse options like refillable bottle systems or deposit return schemes could reduce 30 percent of plastic waste by 2040.

It also says recycling could achieve an additional 20 percent by that year if “it becomes a more stable and profitable venture” and fossil fuel subsidies are removed and that the replacement of products like plastic wraps and sachets with compostable materials could yield an additional 17 percent reduction.

Countries have different approaches to tackling plastic waste. Some major plastic-producing countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia prefer a system of national strategies.

Some that have formed a “High Ambition Coalition,” comprising Norway, Rwanda, New Zealand, the European Union and others, have called for a top-down approach where global targets are set to reduce virgin plastic production and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, among other measures.

Some environmental campaigners on Tuesday called out UNEP for promoting the practice of burning plastic waste in cement kilns or incinerators to address plastic waste that cannot be recycled. A 2021 Reuters investigation found that some of the world’s biggest consumer brands have funded projects to send their plastic waste to cement kilns.

UNEP said given the short timeline between now and 2040, “sub-optimal solutions” will need to be used to deal with that waste though further study was needed to weigh the impacts of increased greenhouse gas emissions or air toxins.

“Not only does this pose a grave climate and public health threat, it also undermines the primary goal of the global plastic treaty –putting a cap on plastic production,” said Dr. Neil Tangri, policy director at Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.

ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi to visit US for 10 days

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 India slams UN Special Rapporteur’s remark on Srinagar G20 meet

Srinagar will be hosting the G20 meeting of the working group on tourism from May 22 to May 24…reports Asian Lite News

India’s mission to United Nations slammed Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues over the comment on G20 meet in Srinagar and called it “baseless and unwanted.”

Taking to Twitter, the Indian mission to the UN in Geneva said, “We @IndiaUNGeneva strongly reject the statement issued by SR on minority issues @fernanddev & the baseless & unwarranted allegations in it. As G20 President, it’s India’s prerogative to host its meetings in any part of the country.” India accused UN’s Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes of “acting irresponsibly” and politicising the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

“We are aghast that @fernanddev has acted irresponsibly to politicize this issue, misused his position as SR to publicize on social media his presumptive and prejudiced conclusions in a gross violation of the Code of Conduct for SRs,” he added.

Earlier, Varennes tweeted that holding a G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir while massive human rights violations are ongoing is lending support to attempts by India to normalize the brutal & repressive denial of democratic & other rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities.
“G20 should on the contrary uphold ‘International human rights obligations & the #UN Declaration of Human Rights should be upheld… and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir should be decried and condemned, not pushed under the rug and ignored with the holding of this meeting’,” he added.

Srinagar will be hosting the G20 meeting of the working group on tourism from May 22 to May 24. Last time also, Pakistan tried to create unnecessary noise regarding the G20 working group meeting during the SCO Foreign Minister Meeting, which took place on May 4 and 5 in Goa.

When Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the issue, the external affairs minister S Jaishankar said, “I don’t think there is a G20 issue to debate with anybody, certainly not with a country which is nothing to do with G20. Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will always be a part of India. The G20 meetings are held in all the Indian states and Union Territories, so it is completely natural that it is held there.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-Kashmir Police review security ahead of G20 meet in Valley

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UN worried over increasingly unstable, volatile Afghanistan

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General said that the meeting was about developing a common international approach, not about recognition of the de-facto Taliban authorities…reports Asian Lite News

An increasingly unstable and volatile Afghanistan is causing worry to the world.

Worsening human rights, in particular women’s and girls’ rights, poverty, hunger, terrorism and the spread of drug trafficking are among the issues that the people of Afghanistan have been facing under Taliban rule. World leaders under the aegis of the United Nations recently held a closed-door meeting in Doha to reinvigorate international engagement around these key issues and to engage the Taliban government.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General said that the meeting was about developing a common international approach, not about recognition of the de-facto Taliban authorities.

The participants are worried about the stability of Afghanistan and have expressed those serious concerns. They relate to the persistent presence of terrorist organisations, a risk for the country, the region and further afield. The lack of inclusivity, which importantly includes human rights in particular those of women and girls, was severely undermined by recent Taliban decisions and the spread of drug trafficking with all its dramatic consequences.

The Taliban returned to power in August of 2021 and have restricted Afghan women and girls from participating in most areas of public and daily life.

Women nationals have also been barred from working with the UN in a country where nearly 29 million people depend on humanitarian assistance.

The UN Security Council recently unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the decision, saying that it undermines human rights and humanitarian principles.

He further stated that the current ban on Afghan women working in the United Nations and national and international NGOs is unacceptable and puts lives in jeopardy.

Antonio Guterres said the situation in Afghanistan was the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today and that he would meet the Taliban when it was the “right moment to do so but today is not the right moment.”

According to the United Nations, a record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world’s largest aid operation.

The UN is asking for USD 4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator warned that Afghanistan was also the world’s least well-funded operation, with less than five per cent funding pledged so far.

Regular Afghans, particularly women and children remain oppressed under the Taliban. They depend on humanitarian assistance but any remaining hope they have for a brighter future dwindles the longer the international community leaves them in need. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Female students launch own businesses in Afghanistan

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UN’s Programme on HIV/AIDS welcomes India as member

He also stated that India’s expertise in the field of statistics, diversity and demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission…reports Asian Lite News

India was elected as a member of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) of the United Nations, according to the statement released by the permanent mission of India to the United Nations in New York.

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs supervises the application of international drug control treaties, while the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS supports and provides strategic direction for an international response to HIV/AIDS. India has also been elected to the United Nations’ highest statistical body for a four-year term.

“The Statistical Commission is the highest body dealing with international statistical activities and is responsible for standards set in the field of statistics. India was a member of the Statistical Commission last in 2004,” the statement read.

“Thus, India is returning to the Statistical Commission after a gap of two decades. The experience of India in the field of official statistics especially with regard to its diversity and demography is immense and will be a value addition to the functioning of the Statistical Commission,” the statement added.

Reacting to the election, India’s permanent mission to the UN said that the support that they received in the election reflects the trust reposed by the international community in India’s expertise in these bodies.

Guided by the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘The World is One Family’, India will strive to make its due contributions in these and other organs, in the spirit of advancing multilateral solutions to global challenges.

Jaishankar also reacted to the election of India in the statistical body.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “India elected to the highest UN statistical body for a 4-year term beginning on 1 January 2024! Congrats Team @IndiaUNNewYork for coming through so strongly in a competitive election.”

He also stated that India’s expertise in the field of statistics, diversity and demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission.

India has won handsomely in the just completed UN Statistical Commission election-securing 46 out of 53 votes, leaving rivals ROK (23) China (19) and UAE (15) far behind. In brief, victory for India.

This was a multi-cornered election, four candidates for two seats, according to the sources. (ANI)

ALSO READ-India-Bhutan ties go beyond just geopolitical interests

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India wins seat in UN statistical body

China suffered a diplomatic setback as it received only 19 votes, while India received 46 of the 53 votes, reports Arul Louis

In a sign of India’s diplomatic influence, it has been elected to the UN Statistical Commission and two other bodies while China suffered a diplomatic rout unable to get the required votes for the Commission when it squared off against India.

India was elected unopposed in two elections on Wednesday by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS.

In the election to the Statistical Commission where China was competing with India for seats earmarked for the Asia Pacific region, India received 46 of the 53 votes for the Statistical Commission electing it to one of the two seats for the Asia Pacific region in the first round of voting.

China came in third with paltry 19 votes, while South Korea received 23 and the United Arab Emirates 15, necessitating a second round of ballotting because none of them received the majority of 27 votes required for election to the region’s second seat under the rules.

In the runoff between China and South Korea, they tied with 25 votes each and under the rules, ECOSOC President Lachezara Stoeva drew lots to break the tie and Seoul was picked.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted, “India’s expertise in the field of statistics, diversity & demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission.”

He congratulated India’s UN Mission team for “for coming through so strongly in a competitive election”.

Seats on most UN bodies are allocated by region, although all countries vote to pick the candidates from the region.

India, which will begin its term on the Statistical Commission in 2024, returns after 20 years having completed its last term in 2004.

The Statistical Commission bills itself as “the highest body of the global statistical system bringing together the chief statisticians from member states from around the world”.

It sets statistical standards and develops concepts and methods, at the national and international levels.

China’s poor performance in the Statistical Commission election, securing only 19 votes and trailing South Korea was a surprise because of the extensive diplomatic and economic campaigns it has undertaken around the world.

ALSO READ-‘Diplomatic blow’ to China as India elected to UN statistical body

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UN envoy calls for compromises to achieve peace in Yemen

The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have further shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact…reports Asian Lite News

UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has called for dialogue and compromises between the Yemeni government and the Houthis to achieve long-lasting peace.

In a statement marking the first anniversary of the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Yemen’s warring parties, Grundberg said on Sunday that the UN-mediated ceasefire that started in April 2022 was generally observed even after its expiration in October 2022.

Hailing the truce as “a moment of hope”, the envoy added that its “most significant promise is its potential to jumpstart an inclusive political process aimed at comprehensively and sustainably ending the conflict”.

“There are still significant risks,” he cautioned, adding a surge in military, economic, and rhetorical escalation in recent weeks has highlighted the frailty of the ceasefire’s achievements when they are not backed by political advancements towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

He also underscored the necessity “to protect the gains of the truce and to build on them towards more humanitarian relief, a nationwide ceasefire, and a sustainable political settlement that meets the aspirations of Yemeni women and men”.

“At this critical time, any new temporary or partial arrangement needs to include a clear commitment from the parties that ensures it is a step on the course of a peaceful solution that is reached through the consensus of Yemenis in an inclusive political process,” said the envoy.

A UN-brokered humanitarian truce that went into effect in April last year provided a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution to Yemen’s conflict by substantially reducing violence across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, sporadic armed confrontations have resumed in many parts of the country after the expiration of the truce in October last year.

The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have further shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.

The years-long war brought the Arab world’s poorest country to the brink of collapse, causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country’s food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition.

ALSO READ: Houthis intensify military ops in Yemen despite peace calls