Yemen: UN humanitarian official to visit war-torn north amid mounting crisis

A senior United Nations humanitarian official is slated to set off for Yemen today to assess the needs of tens of thousands of people uprooted by the armed conflict raging in the north between Government forces and rebels.

Rashid Khalikov, Director of the New York section of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), plans to visit areas where internally displaced persons (IDPs) have settled, and meet Government officials and aid workers during his four-day fact-finding mission.

The total number of IDPs stands at around 150,000, including 95,000 people affected by previous fighting on top of the 55,000 affected by more intense combat over the past two months, according to OCHA.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported this week that heavy fighting between Al Houthi forces and Government troops in and around Sa’ada city continues with “utter disregard” for the safety of the civilian population.

In addition, there has been no water or electricity in Sa’ada since 12 August and the food reserves are running out, said UNHCR.

None of the $23.5 million appeal, launched on 2 September, to provide four months of food and shelter to civilians displaced by the conflict has been funded, reported OCHA, stressing that it urgently needs the international community’s support to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.