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UN envoy for Yemen working intensively to bring parties together in Geneva: spokesman

Xinhua, June 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN secretary-general's special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed, "is working intensively to bring the parties together as soon as possible in Geneva," after talks planned for last week were postponed due to objections by the Yemeni government, a UN spokesman told reporters here Thursday.

Ahmed "is currently mustering the required Yemeni, regional and international support before announcing the start of the consultations," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing. "We hope to be able to make an announcement on the consultations very soon."

"The Special Envoy is today in Abu Dhabi and he was in Riyadh until yesterday, and is likely to undertake additional visits and extensive consultations in the sub-region," he said.

The special envoy told the UN Security Council at a closed meeting on Wednesday that he is planning to convene peace talks between the Yemeni warring parties in Geneva on June 14, a date agreed to by the war-torn country's exiled government, but not yet backed by Houthi militia, diplomats said.

"As work continues to convene the Yemen consultations, the secretary-general once again reiterates his call for a further humanitarian pause in order to allow assistance to reach the Yemeni people," the spokesman said.

"Humanitarian needs are becoming increasingly intense, and urgent measures by the international community, as well as regional states, are required to alleviate the worst consequences of the fighting," he said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA) said the Operations Room of the Ministry of Health in Sana'a, which manages all emergency operations for Yemen, was damaged on Wednesday.

"The damage incurred is expected to further cripple already strained emergency health relief operations," he said. " Humanitarian partners have supported the Ministry of Health in ensuring effective emergency health response, including equipping and building the capacity of the Operations Room."

The Wednesday incident followed attacks on dozens of health facilities by fighting, shelling, and airstrikes in Yemen since the escalation of the conflict on March 26.

In addition, ten health care workers have been killed or injured while carrying out their duties since that time. The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to appeal for the protection of health facilities, staff and patients.

Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, briefed the UN Security Council on Yemen Wednesday, his first briefing to the 15-nation Security Council in his new capacity.

He warned that a full resumption of commercial imports of vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicines, is required to avoid a looming human catastrophe. Endite