US Concerned About Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis

The United States said Thursday it is deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, which the United Nations yesterday designated as a Level 3 crisis, its most severe category.

“In light of the critical humanitarian situation facing the Yemeni people, we again join the United Nations and the international community in calling for an immediate humanitarian pause, to be enacted as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon suggested in his July 1 statement until the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr celebration,” said US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby in a statement.

According to Kirby, a pause, along with commensurate disengagement of armed forces in all areas including Aden, Taiz, and Marib, would allow international aid organizations to deliver urgently needed food, medicine, and fuel to citizens throughout Yemen. It would also allow for the delivery of vital commercial goods on which Yemen depends, Kirby added.

“The United States will continue to work actively with humanitarian organizations to help facilitate the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid,” Kirby said, adding, that, “A humanitarian pause now could also further efforts to create space for productive political dialogue as part of the UN-facilitated political transition process in which all of Yemen’s communities have important roles to play.”