UN official: Air raids have killed large numbers of Yemeni civilians

New York, May 27, 2018 (YPA) – The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, said that air strikes have left large numbers of civilian dead in Yemen.

“I am very concerned about the recent developments in Yemen,” Lowcock said on Saturday in a statement on the situation in Yemen.

“Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed an escalation in the conflict, an increase in restrictions on humanitarian work and a reduction in the volume of basic trade imports,” he added.

These factors are doubling the damage caused by the worst humanitarian crisis in the world at a time when millions of Yemenis are suffering from severe food insecurity and are facing the possibility of re-emergence of cholera or watery diarrhea, the statement said.

It referred that the escalation of conflict since December 2017 along the west coast and in Taiz province has led to the displacement of more than 130 thousand persons, in addition to about three million others forced to flee away from their homes since 2015.

The UN official called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure that all possible measures are taken to protect civilians.

He urged all parties to participate actively with the United Nations, without preconditions, to achieve a negotiated settlement leading to a sustainable peace.

Saudi-led coalition countries have been waging an aggressive war on Yemen for the fourth consecutive year and imposing an air, land and sea blockade on the country, which has led to catastrophic effects on citizens and their living situation.

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