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UN humanitarian chief urges Yemeni parties to implement ceasefire

Xinhua, May 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos on Monday urged parties to the Yemeni conflict to implement the reported five-day humanitarian ceasefire and "give the people of Yemen respite."

"Given the deteriorating humanitarian situation on the ground in Yemen with hundreds of thousands of vulnerable civilians trapped in the middle of fighting and unable to access lifesaving aid, it is essential that this pause materialize," said the Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Amos in a statement issued here.

She said that if the pause in fighting, scheduled to begin Tuesday, is executed by all parties to the conflict, it will enable the UN workers and its partners to enhance operations.

"Essential international staff members are returning to Yemen," she said, "We could deliver more emergency food rations, provide medical care for the sick and injured and ensure clean water supplies for homes and hospitals. We need security guarantees and logistical support to enable us to do this."

In a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Friday that a cease-fire would begin Tuesday night and the implementation was contingent on cooperation with the Houthis.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed is going back to Yemeni capital of Sana'a Tuesday before the announced humanitarian pause, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq at a briefing here. Cheikh is expected to meet with the Houthis and other Yemeni parties.

The Saudi-led coalition forces launched on March 26 the bombing campaign against the Shiite Houthi group and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who forced President Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia, aiming to reinstate the Yemeni government.

The death toll of battles and air strikes have reached more than 1,200, while more than 3,000 people were wounded across the country, according to statistics released by the Yemeni government.

Hundreds of thousands of people, especially in the southern regions, fled their homes after Houthi fighters entered southern provinces to fight supporters of Hadi. Endite