Secretary-General voices concern at civilian impact of fighting in northern Yemen

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing concern about escalating hostilities in the mountains of northern Yemen, where civilians are reported to be trapped in the middle of deadly fighting between Government forces and rebels.

Mr. Ban appeals to all sides in the clashes to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected areas, his spokesperson Marie Okabe said today following questions from journalists.

He voiced hope that the situation in northern Yemen would soon be resolved by peaceful means and that the fighting will stop.

The violence has been concentrated in Saada province, which borders Saudi Arabia and is a relatively remote and inaccessible region of Yemen.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched enough medicines and supplies to treat 200 people who have sustained injuries in the fighting, and plans to send more supplies next week.

WHO reported that it has also sent additional medical staff from its regional office in Cairo to support the emergency health operations in Yemen, while it is teaming up with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to coordinate a combined health and nutrition response to the situation.