Peter Mauer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) returned from a trip across war-torn Yemen last month, telling Fox News he is “profoundly concerned for the plight of its people.”

“This outbreak is manmade. It is a direct consequence of more than two years of warfare. People are dying from easily treatable chronic diseases,” he said. “Key services like garbage disposal have ceased to function.”

Maurer also stressed that thousands of people have been detained by parties to the conflict, languishing in prison unable to contact their loved ones. He highlighted that while “humanitarian funding is more needed than ever, the international community must go a step further.

“It must actively seek out solutions to this enormous crisis, and wield influence over the behavior of warring parties as a matter of urgency,” he said, adding that how easily – as in places like Syria – conflicts can become protracted.

“Yemen’s fate can be different, but I see few signs of hope,” Mauer noted. “The suffering of its people only grows in intensity. I’ve met families forced to make impossible choices about whether to buy bread, water or medicine for their children.”

Donations to the ICRC’S Yemen appeal can be made here.

Hollie McKay has been a FoxNews.com staff reporter since 2007. She has reported extensively from the Middle East on the rise and fall of terrorist groups such as ISIS in Iraq. Follow her on twitter at @holliesmckay

The original source of this article is Fox News
 The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of YemenExtra