UN relief chief to visit Yemen, Djibouti

The UN under-secretary- general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, is scheduled to visit Yemen and Djibouti on Aug. 9-13 "to see for himself the catastrophic humanitarian impact of the conflict in Yemen, and assess measures needed to ensure aid agencies can scale up and meet people's growing needs," a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.

"Mr. O'Brien is expected to meet with key officials in Sana'a and Aden to discuss ways of strengthening the aid operation to save lives and protect civilians," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

O'Brien, who is also the UN emergency relief coordinator, told the UN Security Council on July 28 that "the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate rapidly."

With 80 percent of the population of about 26 million people in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance and more than 1,895 civilians killed by fighting since March, "the impact of this conflict on civilians is indeed catastrophic," O'Brien said at an open council meeting.

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, returned Thursday evening from a two-day mission to Sa'ada, a city in northwestern Yemen, where he witnessed the severe destruction of civilian infrastructure in the city, including of markets, banks, schools, Dujarric said. "He also met with displaced communities as well as local authorities."

Klaauw emphasised the importance of all parties in protecting civilian lives and livelihoods, saying that civilian infrastructure must be spared from airstrikes and shelling, and not be used for military purposes, according to the spokesman. Endite