More than 11 million children in war-torn Yemen are in desperate need of humanitarian aid, warns UN children's fund.

"It is fair to say today that Yemen is one of the worst places in the world if you are a child," said Geert Kappelare, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. "Two million children suffer from acute malnutrition and almost every boy and girl needs humanitarian aid," he said at a press conference in Amman. "Today we estimate that every 10 minutes a child in the country dies from diseases that can be prevented ".

UN officials warned that the Asian nation could face the world's biggest famine for decades, unless the mutilation blockade of the Saudi-led coalition struggling with insurgents is abolished. The blockade, introduced after Saudi forces held missiles fired at Riyadh's international airport earlier this month, further tightened access to the port of Hidalgo, which is a key point for food and medicine supplies.