UN calls for humanitarian pause in Yemen as violence escalates
GENEVA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said some 900 refugees from Yemen had arrived in the Horn of Africa since the start of the conflict.
As violence rages in 14 out of Yemen's 22 governorates, an increasing number of people are crossing the Gulf of Aden to flee air strikes, armed conflict and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
A total of 317 Yemeni refugees arrived at Obock, Djibouti over the last 10 days, while 582 Somalis and Yemenis and a small number of Ethiopians and Djiboutian refugees were reported in Somalia.
World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Yemen, Dr. Ahmed Shadoul, said that Aden has been especially affected over the last three weeks by shortage of medical equipment, supplies and personnel.
"WHO is very keen on trying to ensure basic services, but we are facing problems such as power cuts and fuel shortages which hinder the work carried out in hospitals" he said.
According to Shadoul, 648 deaths and 2,191 wounded have been reported so far, though many unreported cases are sure to exist.
The UN Children's Fund, or UNICEF, announced that their first plane had landed at Sana'a airport since Saudi-strikes began against Shiite Huthi rebels last month. Some 16 tons of medical supplies, including antibiotics and bandages as well as much needed water, had been successfully airlifted from Djibouti.
A Red Cross plane had also managed to land on Friday.
This aid is crucial as 16 million Yemenis are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance according to UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Johannes Van Der Klaauw.
In Aden alone, "1 million people risk being cut off from access to clean drinking water within a matter of days," he said.
Van der Klaauw called on parties in the conflict to protect civilian lives, allow aid workers to provide assistance and highlighted the pressing need for a humanitarian pause to take place in order to provide vital assistance to the affected population.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the number of people moving from Sa'ada and Sana'a to Amran governorate has also been increasing, amid "widespread medicine, fuel, water and electricity shortages."
The IOM reported that as of April 8, the organization received requests to support the humanitarian evacuation of over 13,000 nationals from 38 governments.
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