Yemen is reeling from two years of civil war and with famine-like conditions detected in parts of the country, the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) has issued another desperate plea for help.
The WFP is asking the warring parties, the Iran-allied Houthi rebels and the Western-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia, to allow unimpeded access so they can help the nearly 7 million people who are classified as severely food insecure.
The Program's Yemen director, Stephen Anderson, says there are a number of ways they can assist, if given the access they need.
"The World Food Program is mounting three different types of interventions to help people: general food distribution of in-kind food assistance; also commodity vouchers; and also specialised nutrition assistance. Altogether that is meant to reach 9.1 million people. However due to funding constraints and access restrictions we are unfortunately not able to help the number of people that we would like to."
Famine hasn't officially been declared.
But the WFP is trying to increase operations to gradually support a total of 9.1 million people over the coming year.
In an emergency 12-month operation, which will cost up to US$1.2 billion, two and a half million people most at risk will receive a full package of assistance.
That includes full food rations for a month, as well as nutritional support for malnourished children and women.
Another 4.2 million people will be given a reduced food ration, which covers 60 per cent of the food they need.
WFP spokesman Dana Sacchetti says it's an expensive operation.
"We need, over the next 12 months, over 1 billion dollars to get the work done that we need to do, to avert famine in the country, and to provide this type of support that I was discussing earlier. That's almost a hundred million dollars per month. Right now those operations are about 10 per cent funded. So we're well short of our goal to get the money that we need to save lives and to prevent the country from falling into famine."
The appeal for extra help came on the eve of a UN conference in Geneva seeking aid pledges for the country.
The UN has so far only received 15 per cent of US$2.1 billion sought in aid for Yemen this year.
The Turnbull government has stepped up though, committing AU$10 million.
Foreign minister Julie Bishop says the contribution will help deliver food, healthcare, water and sanitation.
Ms Bishop also urged the warring parties to return to negotiations towards a permanent solution to the conflict.
Child rights activist and joint 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Kailash Satyarthi, says the UN must prioritise children living in war zones.
"I appeal to the Security Council and United Nations members to please prioritise the children because they are the worst sufferers of sins they have not committed. So, they should be protected."
Mr Satyarthi says images of the recent chemical attack in Syria prompted him to speak out.
He says UN resolutions on children in conflict would create more awareness, and encourage powerful countries such as the United States to keep their borders open to child refugees.
"So every single heart, every single door or every single border should remain open for children who are seeking refuge and even if they are not seeking refuge, we have to embrace them and look for their betterment, for their safety more importantly and that is the collective responsibility of the international community."
