26 million civilians at risk in Yemen: Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of a worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen, saying 26 million civilians are at risk in the impoverished country, which has been under Saudi airstrikes since March 26.
Cedric Schweizer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, made the announcement while discussing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen during a recent interview with Russia Today news channel on Wednesday.
“Twenty-six million of the civilian population are at risk,” Schweizer said.
Schweizer added that nearly eleven weeks of the Saudi airstrikes have also caused severe shortages in food, water, fuel and medical aid in Yemen.
He said increasing insecurity have blocked the distribution of fuel supplies and food aid to Yemeni people.
The Red Cross official also urged the international community to help in lifting Yemenis out of the current situation by initiating a dialogue and finding a political solution to the ongoing crisis.
“We cannot start to deliver fuel to 26 million people or food to 26 million people. We need political decisions and it is very important. Political decisions to allow tankers, for example, to arrive in Yemen and then the parties within Yemen (must make decisions), to allow the distribution, through the commercial system, to the different places that need this fuel. At least for the most needy infrastructure, like hospitals or pumping stations,” Schweizer stated.
“We need to have a dialogue with all the parties of this conflict to ensure they respect the civilian population. When you target, for example, an ammunition depot, you have to take into consideration that a lot of civilians are living around it and we have seen, several times, a lot of civilian casualties and it's something we have to address.”
The remarks come as the Saudi attacks have resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and massive infrastructure destruction.
The aerial attacks have also damaged Yemen’s livestock, health systems and agricultural sector.
The United Nations says nearly 2,000 people have been killed due to the conflict in Yemen since March 19.
JR/HSN/GHN
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