UN calls for $274 million in aid to war-torn Yemen

The United Nations has appealed for USD 274 million to meet the urgent needs of the Yemeni people traumatized by the ongoing crisis in their country.

“The devastating conflict in Yemen takes place against the backdrop of an existing humanitarian crisis that was already one of the largest and most complex in the world,” said a statement issued by UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Johannes Van Der Klaauw on Friday.

The appeal aims “to meet the life-saving and protection needs of 7.5 million affected” by the crisis in Yemen, the statement added.

The UN official further noted that the Saudi aggression against its neighbor has exacerbated the miserable living condition in the Arab country.

He also emphasized that the unabated conflict as well as the Saudi airstrikes have forced thousands of Yemeni families to flee their homes.

Nearly 350 Yemeni refugees arrived at a temporary refugee camp of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Obock, Djibouti on Thursday.

Djibouti has so far received more than 4,200 migrants from the war-torn impoverished Arab country, according to the Yemeni project manager for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Chissey Mueller.

Van Der Klaauw continued, “Ordinary families are struggling to access health care, water, food and fuel -- basic requirements for their survival.” 

The UN statement also touched upon the devastating impact of the Saudi onslaught on Yemen, saying the “air strikes have now affected 18 of Yemen’s 22 governorates. In the south, conflict has continued to intensify, particularly in Aden, where widespread fighting continues.”

The statement further noted that Yemeni civilians and religious infrastructure, including mosques, are targeted as conflict rages on in the country.

The UN stressed that hundreds of people have lost their lives and approximately 3,000 people are wounded “and there are reports of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.”

The statement highlighted that “physical protection of civilians is a top priority,” while reporting “difficulties in bringing emergency supplies and aid workers.”

Van Der Klaauw urged “donors to act now to support the people of Yemen at this time of greatest need.”

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also called for an immediate cessation of clashes in Yemen on Friday, saying a political solution is the best way out of the conflict in the Arab country.

Saudi Arabia’s air campaign against the Ansarullah fighters of the Houthi movement started on March 26, without a United Nations mandate, in a bid to restore power to the country’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

According to reports, over 2,600 people, including women and children, have so far lost their lives in the attacks.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is rapidly deteriorating as Yemenis are facing a shortage of essential food stuffs, water, fuel and vital drugs.

International humanitarian agencies expect tens of thousands more to flee Yemen in the coming months amid the worsening humanitarian situation.

IA/MKA/SS

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk