NGOs demand UN action on Yemen crisis

More than 50 prominent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil societies from across the world have called on the United Nations (UN) to take urgent action regarding the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in the wake of Saudi airstrikes, Press TV reports.

In a letter sent to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the UK-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and some fifty other organizations warned of the human catastrophe and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen.

The organizations urged the UN chief to use his influence and put pressure on the Saudi monarchy to end its ongoing military aggression against Yemen.

More than two months of the Saudi airstrikes have caused severe shortages in basic necessities and nine million people remain in dire need of immediate assistance across Yemen, the letter said.

Meanwhile, Lena Mohamed, with the IHRC, said that the world organizations and international community must urgently address the crisis, which were the direct result of the Saudi attacks.

“The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is really dire at the moment. Nine million people are suffering real trauma there and they need aid urgently. We also know the hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced around the country, and also there are so many people trying to leave because of the situation, because of the bombardment,” she said.

“Now Saudi Arabia clearly isn’t complying with the understanding of human rights by bombarding Yemen despite the international outcry. So it is clearly hypocritical and Ban Ki-Moon, as the secretary general, needs to address that,” she added.

The developments come as Saudi Arabian warplanes have launched a series fresh airstrikes across the Yemeni provinces of Ta’izz, Ma’rib and Sa’ada.

Also on Saturday, Saudi fighter jets bombarded a hospital in the Bani Hashish district of Yemen’s western province of Sana’a.

Local residents and witness say several civilians have lost their lives in fresh airstrikes.

Saudi warplanes earlier targeted a residential area and a military base in Hajjah Province, killing dozens of Yemeni civilians and injuring scores of others.

Meanwhile, Yemeni army has retaken two bases, two villages from al-Qaead militants in the southeastern Dhali' Province, killing large number of the terrorists.

Saudi Arabia has been conducting military strikes against Yemen since March 26 without a UN mandate.

The ongoing Saudi military campaign and aerial strikes against Yemen have been aimed at weakening the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

Ansarullah and their allies currently control the Yemeni capital and a number of provinces.

Saudi Arabia is also seeking to restore power to Yemen’s fugitive former President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

According to the UN, about 2,000 people have been killed and more than 7,000 others wounded in the conflict in Yemen over the past two months.

JR/HJL/HMV

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