|
Yemen has welcomed Pope Leo XIVs appeal over the worsening humanitarian situation in Taiz and called on the international community to take practical measures to pressure the Houthi militia to lift its siege, end "attacks" on civilians and ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance.
In a post on X on Monday, Yemens Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs expressed appreciation for the Popes concern over the suffering of Yemenis and his call for an end to hostilities and for the people of Yemen and the wider region to live in peace. The post said, "Yemen welcomes the Popes appeal on Taiz and calls for international action to end the siege and protect civilians." https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2114454281113702651 In a press release issued on Sunday, the ministry said the continued siege imposed by the Houthi militia on Taiz, along with the shelling of residential neighbourhoods and restrictions on the movement of civilians and supplies, was exacerbating the suffering of the population and threatening their means of survival. It stressed that responding to the humanitarian crisis required "lifting the siege, ending attacks on civilians, reopening roads, and ensuring the unhindered delivery of food, water, medicine, and humanitarian assistance." The ministry called on the international community to build on the Popes appeal by taking practical measures to pressure the militia to end the siege and halt its violations. It also called for the protection of civilians and civilian facilities, the documentation of violations, accountability for perpetrators and the safeguarding of victims rights. "Protecting civilians and meeting their basic needs is an obligation under international humanitarian law," the ministry said, adding that civilians rights to food, water and medicine must not be subjected to "political pressure or blackmail." The ministry reaffirmed the Yemeni governments commitment to facilitating humanitarian operations and strengthening coordination with the United Nations and relief organisations to ensure assistance reaches those in need and alleviates the suffering of affected populations across all governorates. This comes as Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in Taiz, where residents are facing shortages of food, water and medical care. In a post on X on Sunday, the Pope said, "I am following with concern the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in the city of Taiz, where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care." https://x.com/Pontifex/status/2114333657922183678 "I make a heartfelt appeal for hostilities to cease and for the Yemeni people and all the peoples of the region to be guaranteed the right to live in peace," he added. The appeal comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of renewed fighting and restrictions on humanitarian access in Taiz. Meanwhile, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, as cited by Arab News, reported 1,891 crimes and violations against civilians and civilian objects in Taiz between September 1 and October 22. The network alleged that Houthi "attacks", shelling and restrictions on essential supplies had caused civilian casualties, damaged homes and obstructed humanitarian assistance. The network also warned that restrictions on food, medicine, fuel and drinking water were putting additional pressure on hospitals and other essential services. According to a report published by UN News on Friday, aid agencies warned that the city had been cut off for nearly three weeks, with fighting preventing humanitarian organisations from entering and civilians from leaving. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said access roads had been cut off, meaning very little fuel, food and other supplies had reached the city. He said, "Its 20 days and counting since Taiz has been cut offwe are increasingly seeing that the fighting makes it impossible for us to get in and impossible for people to get out." He added, "Access roads have been cut off, and that means that very little fuel, food or other supplies have reached the city since." https://x.com/UNGeneva/status/2113629657342050598 The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that more than 800,000 people in Taiz had been cut off from assistance, including 600,000 people dependent on humanitarian aid and 200,000 women and children. The UN also raised concerns over dwindling water supplies, reporting that restricted road access and scarce diesel had reduced water production in the city by about half, while the cost of truck-delivered water had roughly tripled. The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reported that more than 52,000 children screened in Taiz this year were acutely malnourished, including over 11,500 suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The worsening situation has renewed calls for an end to hostilities, the reopening of access roads and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict. (ANI)
|
