Saudi-led military coalition is implored to pledge for ceasefire

Yemen is on the verge of a famine, the likes of which have not been seen in the last 100 years, according to the United Nations.

The ongoing war in the country, led by Saudi Arabia, could result in what the UN says one of the worst famines the world has ever witnessed.

Yemen's civil war began three years ago, when Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, seized much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict and millions are displaced.

Lise Grande from the United Nations said: "I think many of us felt as we went into the 21st century that is was unthinkable that we could see a famine like saw in Ethiopia, that we saw in Bengal, that we saw in parts of the Soviet Union, that was just unacceptable.

"Many of us had the confidence that that would never happen again and yet the reality is that in Yemen that is precisely what we are looking at.

"We predict that we could be looking at 12 to 13 million innocent civilians who are at risk of dying from the lack of food."

The United Nations in Yemen says that since June, more than 170 people have been killed and at least 1,700 have been injured in Hodeida province, with over 425,000 people forced to flee their homes.

A raft of UK aid groups are working in the country with the UK government having pledged £170m to help with immediate food aid.