(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien, in a statement released by the UN on Wednesday, expressed his extreme disappointment that a humanitarian pause did not take hold in Yemen over the weekend and called again on all parties to the conflict to agree on an immediate and unconditional humanitarian pause across the country.
O'Brien, who is also the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that he is now even more deeply concerned by the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen, in which millions of women, children and men are facing terrifying violence, extreme hunger and little medical assistance as the fighting, shelling and bombing by all parties show no sign of abating.
The UN official, who succeeded Valerie Amos, urged the parties to abide by their obligations under international law to protect civilians and facilitate rapid, safe and predictable access for humanitarian organisations to reach all people who need assistance, wherever they are in Yemen.
Despite the continued fighting, O'Brien confirmed that UN humanitarians and their partners on the ground have been able to distribute some vital aid for the families in desperate need. However, he added, it is not nearly enough and access and funds to rapidly scale up critical humanitarian supplies and services are highly needed.
In his statement, carried on the UN website, he urged for a political solution to this conflict and hoped that the international community will do all it can for the Yemeni families who are counting on this. An unconditional humanitarian pause was agreed upon by all parties to start on July 10th, until the end of Ramadan.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.