- Title: YEMEN-SECURITY/UN VISIT U.N. relief chief visits devastated Yemeni city
- Date: 11th August 2015
- Summary: AMRAN, YEMEN (AUGUST 11, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNITED NATIONS CONVOY ON THE ROAD PEOPLE GATHERED AT A SCHOOL VARIOUS OF UNITED NATIONS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR, STEPHEN O'BRIEN, WALKING WITH OFFICIALS DISPLACED PEOPLE AT SCHOOL VARIOUS OF O'BRIEN TALKING TO DISPLACED PEOPLE AT SCHOOL (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR, STEPHEN O'BRIEN, SAYING: "Well, I am here in Amran to see for myself the effects of the terrible conflict which has been a real terrible thing for the Yemeni people." O'BRIEN WALKING WITH DISPLACED PEOPLE SIGN BOARD READING (Arabic): "AL HAMZAH SCHOOL" VARIOUS OF CHILDREN VARIOUS OF O'BRIEN TALKING TO CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR, STEPHEN O'BRIEN, SAYING: "And so as the U.N. Humanitarian Chief, my concern is for the welfare of people who are caught up in this very difficult time." O'BRIEN WALKING WITH PEOPLE O'BRIEN ASSESSING THE DAMAGE SECURITY WALKING NEXT TO A DAMAGED GOVERNMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF O'BRIEN TALKING TO YEMENI OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR, STEPHEN O'BRIEN, SAYING: "And we can see from the devastation to the Governor's offices and the municipal buildings behind me just what effects the conflict is having upon the infrastructure as well as the people here in this particular community." VARIOUS OF O'BRIEN WITH OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF SECURITY VEHICLES ALONG WITH U.N. CONVOY
- Embargoed: 26th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Yemen
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAE67BCBWU6H3QQ3OLP8KNYV6SF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien visited the devastated Yemeni city of Amran on Tuesday (August 11), to take stock of the situation.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict which descended into civil war in March when Houthi rebels advanced towards the southern city of Aden after capturing capital Sanaa.
The advance of the Iran-allied Houthis forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have been pounded with air strikes by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia for more than four months.
Many people displaced by the fighting had taken shelter at a school in Amran.
O'Brien met several people living at the school.
"I'm here in Amran to see for myself the effects of the terrible conflict which has been a real terrible thing for the Yemeni people," he said.
O'Brien's visit coincides with the end of a three-day tour by the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, who said Yemen was "crumbling" under a deepening humanitarian crisis.
"As the U.N. Humanitarian Chief, my concern is for the welfare of the people who are caught up in this very difficult time," O'Brien told reporters after visiting displaced families.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Sunni-Arab allies launched a major offensive against Yemen aimed at ousting the Houthis from their strongholds and restoring Hadi.
Houthi forces have since been pushed back on several fronts.
The coalition air strikes have caused extensive damage in the country.
"We can see from the devastation to the Governor's offices and the municipal buildings behind just what effects the conflict is having upon the infrastructure as well as the people here in this particular community," O'Brien said after visiting damaged government buildings.
Intense fighting and import restrictions have severely impaired health care services in the country.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 25 percent of health facilities are not functioning or only partially.
Health workers have fled, creating gaps in providing primary medical treatment and war surgery.
The majority of Yemenis are suffering under severe food and fuel shortages.
According to the U.N., some 12.9 million people in Yemen lacked basic food supplies and 850,000 children faced acute malnutrition. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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