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Roundup: UN appeals for more donations as humanitarian crisis grows in Yemen

Xinhua, April 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

As the humanitarian crisis in Yemen worsens, the UN agencies launched a flash appeal Friday, asking for 274 million U.S. dollars for life-saving and protection assistance for people in the country.

UN Associate Spokesperson Eri Kaneko told a daily briefing that an estimated 7.5 million people have been affected by the escalating conflict in Yemen, and ordinary families are struggling to access food, water, health care and fuel for their survival.

The above mentioned amount of funding is expected to help aid organizations to provide medical supplies, safe drinking water, food assistance, emergency shelter and other essential support for the next three months, said Kaneko.

Yemen's humanitarian situation has sharply deteriorated after coalition air raids led by Saudi Arabia started late last month which were claimed to protect Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's legitimacy and force the Houthis to retreat from cities they have seized, including the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), airstrikes are now affecting 18 of Yemen's 22 governorates where hospitals, schools, airports and mosques have been damaged.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that health facilities in Yemen reported 767 deaths and 2,906 injuries between March 19 and April 13, which are certainly under-count casualties since many people do not have means to seek treatment in hospitals.

Earlier this week, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned that nearly 10.6 million Yemenis are now severely food insecure, of whom, 4.8 million are suffering from severe lack of food access and high malnutrition.

Despite humanitarian challenges, humanitarian operations are undergoing to help this war-torn country. On Wednesday, a humanitarian corridor to take aid to Yemen via Djibouti was opened and the destination will be Aden, Yemen's second city where fierce fighting is taking place.

The World Food Program (WFP) and its partners also announced Thursday that they will be distributing food to some 105,000 displaced people in Aden over the next few days.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also called on all parties in Yemen to protect civilians and enable humanitarian workers to safely deliver life-saving assistance wherever it is needed.

Ban also said that a return to political negotiations is the best solution for the situation in Yemen, which was echoed by a Security Council resolution adopted here earlier this week, demanding all Yemeni parties to adhere to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.

The security situation has deteriorated in Yemen since January when the Shiite Houthi group seized the presidential palace in Sanaa after deadly clashes with presidential guards.

The Shiite Houthi group, based in the far northern province of Saada, has been expanding its influence southward after signing a UN-sponsored peace and power-sharing deal on Sept. 21, 2014 following week-long deadly clashes. Endite