UN needs $1.6b for Yemen aid, warns of ‘looming catastrophe’
People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by an air strike in Sana'a
Reuters, Geneva :
The United Nations said on Friday that $1.6 billion was now needed to face a “looming catastrophe” in Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition has been launching air strikes against Houthi fighters in a campaign to restore the government in exile.
“Over 21 million people or 80 percent of the population are now estimated to be in need of some form of humanitarian aid and or protection,” U.N. spokesman Jens Laerke told a news briefing.
Stephen O’Brien, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, launched the revised funding appeal, telling donors that a “looming catastrophe” was in the making across Yemen with families struggling to find food, he said.
Meanwhile, scuffles break out at Houthi news conference in Geneva amid discord over size of delegation from Sanaa for peace talks.
The Yemen peace talks under way in the Swiss city of Geneva have hit a deadlock after the parties involved failed to reach an agreement on the number of delegates who can participate in the talks.
A UN official said on Tuesday that every delegation should consist of only 10 members.
“Seven delegation members and three advisers in order to have equality between the two groups,” said Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN chief’s special envoy for Yemen.
However, the delegation from the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which includes the Iran-allied Houthis, consists of 22 members.
And the delegation members are adamant that all 22 take part in the peace negotiations.
“As a matter of fact, we cannot reduce the number of our delegations because the 22 people here represent a dozen different political parties,” Yasser al-Awadi, a member of the Yemeni delegation, said.
“None of them wants to hand over their negotiation power to someone else.”
The organisers of the peace talks are struggling to bring together the rival Yemeni factions, with discussions due to conclude on Friday or Saturday.
Awadi said he is not very optimistic about the talks because Saudi Arabia, which backs the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, is conspicuous by its absence in Geneva.
He said the delegation from Sanaa is looking for a general ceasefire in Yemen, rather than a partial ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, which is why the members want to negotiate with the Saudis.
The United Nations said on Friday that $1.6 billion was now needed to face a “looming catastrophe” in Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition has been launching air strikes against Houthi fighters in a campaign to restore the government in exile.
“Over 21 million people or 80 percent of the population are now estimated to be in need of some form of humanitarian aid and or protection,” U.N. spokesman Jens Laerke told a news briefing.
Stephen O’Brien, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, launched the revised funding appeal, telling donors that a “looming catastrophe” was in the making across Yemen with families struggling to find food, he said.
Meanwhile, scuffles break out at Houthi news conference in Geneva amid discord over size of delegation from Sanaa for peace talks.
The Yemen peace talks under way in the Swiss city of Geneva have hit a deadlock after the parties involved failed to reach an agreement on the number of delegates who can participate in the talks.
A UN official said on Tuesday that every delegation should consist of only 10 members.
“Seven delegation members and three advisers in order to have equality between the two groups,” said Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN chief’s special envoy for Yemen.
However, the delegation from the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which includes the Iran-allied Houthis, consists of 22 members.
And the delegation members are adamant that all 22 take part in the peace negotiations.
“As a matter of fact, we cannot reduce the number of our delegations because the 22 people here represent a dozen different political parties,” Yasser al-Awadi, a member of the Yemeni delegation, said.
“None of them wants to hand over their negotiation power to someone else.”
The organisers of the peace talks are struggling to bring together the rival Yemeni factions, with discussions due to conclude on Friday or Saturday.
Awadi said he is not very optimistic about the talks because Saudi Arabia, which backs the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, is conspicuous by its absence in Geneva.
He said the delegation from Sanaa is looking for a general ceasefire in Yemen, rather than a partial ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, which is why the members want to negotiate with the Saudis.
