Sana’a, 11 August 2019 – Scores of civilians have been killed and wounded since 8 August when fighting broke out in the city of Aden. Preliminary reports indicate that as many as 40 people have been killed and 260 injured.

“It is heart-breaking that during Eid al-Adha, families are mourning the death of their loved ones instead of celebrating together in peace and harmony” said Ms. Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. “ We offer our most profound and sincere condolences to the families of people who have been killed and hurt.”

“Humanitarian organizations are on the ground and will continue to operate. Our main concern right now is to dispatch medical teams to rescue the injured. We are also very worried by reports that civilians trapped in their homes are running out of food and water “said Ms. Grande.

“We call on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and do everything possible to protect all Yemeni civilians, from all parts of the country” said Ms. Grande. “Families need to be able to move freely and safely to secure the things they need to survive,” said Ms. Grande. “We are asking authorities to guarantee unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations so that we can reach people with assistance.”

Thirty-four humanitarian organizations are currently operational in Aden, reaching an average of 1.9 million people with food aid and over 1.6 million with access to safe water each month. The port of Aden is one of the main gateways for commercial and humanitarian goods to Yemen.

Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 80 per cent of the total population, 24.1 million people, requires some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. Despite a difficult operating environment, 117 international and national partners worked across Yemen in the first six months of 2019, to respond to the most acute needs.

The 2019 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) requires US$4.2 billion to assist more than 20 million Yemenis, including 10 million people, who rely entirely on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs each month. As of today, the operation is only 34 per cent funded. Humanitarian agencies are appealing to donors to provide funds as quickly as possible.