UN: Yemenis Need Urgent Aid
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The UN’s humanitarian chief says civilians in Yemen need urgent protection and more humanitarian aid.
Speaking in Sana’a on Tuesday, Stephen O’Brien said four out of five Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance.
“In the 21st century that is outrageous by any measure. I am particularly concerned about the health care system as most of the health facilities in 16 out of 22 governorates are either not functioning or only partially functioning, denying thousands of Yemenis access to much needed essential health services,” O’Brien said in a statement, AP reported.
He said aid groups are ready to help but need “safe and unhindered access.”
Yemen has been under Saudi military strikes since late March 2015. The war was launched in a bid to restore power to fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who has stepped down as s president but is now seeking to grab power.
The United Nations puts the death toll from the war at about 10,000.
