叶门战争中儿童死亡人数众多

Screenshot from the MSF USA documentary 'War in Aden: Surviving the Everyday'. Source: Youtube.

图片撷取自无国界医生组织美国分部拍摄的纪录片「在亚丁的战争:每日生还」,图是叶门一名营养不良的小孩。图片来源:Youtube

叶门时报的一位作者Yasser Rayes在近期写下:「战争期间饥饿占据了叶门人的心头。」

过去几个月以来,有数个人道主义团体呼吁处理叶门的饥饿问题,但饥荒因沙乌地阿拉伯联军对叶门轰炸,而严重加剧。一如往常,孩童受饥饿问题影响最严重。

2016年8月无国界医生组织(MSF)的驻外记者Sophie McNeill称叶门战争是「攻击小孩的战争」。自这场「攻击小孩的内战」开始后,据报导沙国联军曾多次攻击医院,其中还包含无国界医生营运的医院。最为严重的一次攻击发生于2016年8月15日,无国界医生营运的艾布斯医院遭到轰炸,造成11人死亡。

2015年12月,艾布斯医院以及叶门西南部城市塔伊兹中的一间诊所遭到空袭,无国界医生针对此空袭行动进行调查。而无国界医生在2016年9月释出了此项调查结果。据CNN报导,调查结果显示:

The neutrality and impartiality of the facilities had not been compromised before the attacks and therefore there was no legitimate reason to attack them […] The details of the incidents documented in these two reports are unambiguous indicators of how war is being waged in Yemen, where there is an utter disregard for civilian life by all warring parties.

攻击事件发生前这些机构一直都秉持着中立、公平的原则,因此联军没有任何攻击他们的正当理由。[…] 这两则报导中所纪录的事件细节清楚地指出叶门战争的现况,交战各方完全不顾民众的生命。

这些攻击事件导致无国界医生组织从叶门北方撤退,让当地情况更是雪上加霜。

医院变成明显的攻击目标,让叶门已发生的人道危机更加严重。humanosphere表示

Some 18 million people need assistance. When the government collapsed, basic services like trash pick-up stopped. And with food supplies cut off, millions are going hungry. The World Food Program projects that the number of food-insecure people could rise from 14 million to 21 million if the situation does not improve. Not only can hunger lead to death, but for those who survive, there are long-term consequences such as stunted growth and irreversible brain damage.

大约有1800万人需要帮助。当政府垮台了,如收垃圾这类的基本服务就会停止,而食物供应中断后,数百万人就会挨饿。世界粮食计划署预测,如果情况仍未改善,有一餐没一餐过活的人数将会从1400万人攀升至2100万人。饥饿不只会致死,也会影响着还活着的人,例如发育不良、无法恢复的大脑损伤等长期影响。

联合国人道事务协调厅叶门分部表示,感染霍乱的病例增加了。

已确认叶门有31起感染霍乱的病例,主要发生在沙那(12起)与亚丁(9起)。据报有644件可疑病例。人道组织正在增加。

— OCHA Yemen (@OCHAYemen) 2016年10月24日

联合国儿童基金会表示,因为腹泻、营养不良、呼吸感染等可预防疾病,每10分钟就至少有一名孩童死亡。

因为腹泻、营养不良、呼吸感染等可预防疾病,在叶门每10分钟就至少有一名孩童死亡。

— UNICEF Yemen (@UNICEF_Yemen) 2016年12月12日

联合国儿童基金会叶门分部在一则附加的报导中表示

The conflict in Yemen has taken a devastating toll, particularly on the most vulnerable members of society: children.

Even before the outbreak of conflict in March 2015, Yemen faced challenges from widespread poverty, food insecurity and lack of health services. But now, with more than 3.2 million people displaced, food and fuel imports cut short and livelihoods destroyed, more than four in five Yemenis are in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance.

During the first year of the conflict, more than 900 children were killed, constituting one third of all civilian deaths. Thousands more are wasting away because of deprivations caused by the conflict. UNICEF estimates that 370,000 children in Yemen face severe malnutrition, while 2.2 million children need urgent humanitarian assistance to prevent a further deterioration in their nutritional status. Even after the conflict ends, the effects of malnutrition – stunted growth and delayed cognitive development – may linger. In the worst cases, it is fatal.

The number of out-of-school children – already high before the conflict – has ballooned to 2 million as more than 350,000 additional children have been unable to attend school because of closures. Education for these children cannot wait.

The country’s water and sanitation infrastructure has also been ravaged, posing serious health risks. Restrictions on the importation of fuel have disrupted the delivery of water to millions of people in one of the most water-scarce countries on Earth. Fuel shortages have also curtailed access to health care, as hospitals are unable to power the generators they need to function.

On 6 October 2016, health authorities in Yemen confirmed a cholera outbreak, posing an increased health risk to the population – especially children – given the crumbling health system in the country.

叶门战争中死亡人数众多,特别是社会中最脆弱的成员:孩童

甚至在2015年3月战争爆发前,叶门就面临普遍的贫穷、食物不稳定,以及缺乏医疗机构等考验。但是目前超过320万人流离失所,食物及燃料的进口中断、生计遭到破坏,超过五分之四的叶门人正需要人道救援。

战争第一年就有超过九百名孩童遭到杀害,占平民总死亡人数的三分之一。数千多名因为战争造成的食物缺乏而身形消瘦。联合国儿童基金会估计,在叶门有37万名孩童严重营养不良,220万名孩童需要紧急人道救援以预防营养状况恶化。即使战争结束了,营养不良带来的影响会持续下去,如发育不良、认知发展迟缓。最严重则会致命。

未就学的孩童人数战争前就已经很高,战时更激增到2百万人,另外有35万名孩童因为学校关闭而无法上学。这些孩子的教育不能等。

叶门的水利建设与公共卫生建设都已经毁坏,造成严重的健康危机。几百万人住在这水资源最缺乏的国家之一,而对燃料进口的限制打断了水的运送。燃料短缺也缩减了使用医疗保健的机会,医院无法为他们需要运作的发电机提供动力。

2016年10月6日,叶门卫生机关证实爆发了霍乱,而叶门的医疗系统已经崩解,让人民的健康渐受威胁。

为了解决问题,联合国儿童基金会叶门分部希望2017年能募集235,248,126元美金。

Screenshot of the report showing the scale of the humanitarian crisis. Source: UNICEF Yemen.

图为联合国儿童基金会报告的截图,显示出人道危机的规模。来源:联合国儿童基金会叶门分部

数个人道团体回应联合国儿童基金会及其他团体的诉求,也发起了自己的诉求。

世界粮食计划署提供紧急粮食援助,需要紧急支援来救助这个人道回应,还特别强调叶门孩童:

救助儿童会发出「紧急警报」,内容是关于叶门的状况,写道:

War has ripped through what was already the poorest country in the Arab world. A staggering 18 million people are now in dire need of aid. One in three of Yemen’s young children are severely malnourished. And a staggering 7 million children go to bed hungry every night.

战争已经毁了这个本来在阿拉伯世界就是最贫穷的国家。1800万人现在亟需救助。每三名幼童就有一名严重营养不良。还有700万孩童每夜都挨饿入睡。

救助机构反饥饿行动组织的叶门分部主任Erin Hutchinson表示:「战争持续,情况继续恶化,并没有稳定下来。现在非常需要帮助。」

国际救援中心在叶门有数个计划。就国际关怀协会而言,他们着重在“提供叶门贫困人口水利、公共卫生建设,以及生殖健康服务。”

与此同时,近期社群媒体的使用者为了打击儿童饥饿问题,在推特上使用#SOS_YemenGenocide这个hashtag,试着引起世界的注意力。

非政府组织「Mona Relief Yemen」的共同创办人Dr. RS Karim在推特上发表推文:

叶门儿童因被沙乌地阿拉伯联军封锁而挨饿

— Dr. RS Karim (@RSKarim1) 2017年1月1日

校对:Lin Rui-ti

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