TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The coastal province of Hudaydah in Yemen received warnings from the country's Ministry of Water and Environment regarding drinking water pollution, raising concerns about the serious health risks associated with exposure to traces of heavy metals and radioactive substances.
During a press conference held in the Yemeni capital city of Sana’a on Sunday afternoon, the ministry elaborated on the adverse consequences of the tight Saudi-led blockade on the water and environment sectors of Yemen.
According to Abdul Karim al-Safiani, deputy director of Yemen's Water Resources Organization, his organization has found high concentrations of toxic metals and radioactive substances in a number of fresh water resources in Hudaydah province.
He emphasized that, since 2015, more than 2,995 water facilities, such as dams, barriers, pumps, reservoirs, and irrigation networks, have been destroyed by the Saudi-led military coalition.
Safiani also announced that more than 20 million Yemenis, according to statistics provided by international organizations, do not have access to clean drinking water.
Abdulsalam al-Hakimi, deputy minister of Water and Environment, also said that the damage to Yemen’s water and environment sector as a result of the ongoing Saudi-led aggression and siege is estimated to stand at more than $1.7 billion.
Hakimi stressed that irregular diesel fuel distribution and its high price have forced water pumping systems to decrease their capacity.
He noted that Yemeni authorities have tried to import spare parts to expand national water and sewage treatment networks in light of a UN-sponsored ceasefire, and several water wells and treatment plants have come on stream as a result.
The Saudi-led aggression on Yemen has resulted in a lack of clean drinking water and sanitation services for nearly half of the country’s population.
According to the United Nations, Yemenis are in urgent need of water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, while access to clean and safe drinking water remains crucial for the good health and survival of a whole nation.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that Yemen is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, as nearly 15.4 million people lack access to safe water and sanitation.
Together with their Arab allies, the US and other Western nations provided Saudi Arabia with arms and logistical support as it began its devastating war against Yemen in March 2015.
The goal was to overthrow the Ansarullah resistance movement, which had been in charge of running the government in Yemen in the absence of a functioning one, and reinstall Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi's pro-Riyadh regime.
Despite the fact that the Saudi-led coalition has not succeeded in achieving any of its goals, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and caused the worst humanitarian crisis in history.
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