UN humanitarian chief concerned about deteriorating situation in Yemen

Citizens walk on a street with masks in Sanna, capital of Yemen, March 28, 2011. The airport of Sanna was closed temporarily and some flights were cancelled as a sandstrom swept ten provinces of Yemen on March 27. (Xinhua/Yin Ke)

Valerie Amos, UN under- secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, on Monday voiced serious concerns about the deteriorating situation in Yemen with the recent upheaval, as she urgently called for more aid to the region.

"I am especially concerned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen because, even before the recent protests, the country was facing a humanitarian crisis due to protracted conflict in the north displacing 300,000 people, some of them multiple times," Amos said in a news release from her office here.

Following the recent political upheaval in Yemen, it is estimated that more than 82 people have died and hundreds have been injured, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"I urge those involved to refrain from excessive violence and ensure the safety of the civilian population," Amos urged in the news release.

Current fighting has again impacted hundreds of people that still have not recovered from earlier conflict, she added.


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