Russia:

Saudi Blockade of Yemen Created Disastrous Humanitarian Situation

Rasa - Russian envoy to the United Nations says Saudi Arabia's almost two-Year aggression on Yemen has made humanitarian situation disastrous in the already impoverished country that is faced a media blackout as Riyadh prevents journalist from going to Yemen.

News ID: 427282

Date: 10 February 2017 - 15:03

RNA - Russian envoy to the United Nations says Saudi Arabia's almost two-Year aggression on Yemen has made humanitarian situation disastrous in the already impoverished country that is faced a media blackout as Riyadh prevents journalist from going to Yemen.

"Humanitarian situation is also a disaster. It [Yemen] is a country with 20 million, almost all of them dependent on humanitarian supplies," Vitaly Churkin told in an interview with Russia Today, adding that Saudi Arabia's blockade on Yemenis who are almost independent on import of food and medicine to meet their needs has made the situation "extremely tragic" in the Arab state.

The Saudi-led coalition began an air campaign in March 2015 to forcefully reinstate the Mansur Hadi who resigned as Yemeni president and took refuge in Riyadh.

Russian permanent ambassador to the UN also said that Yemen aggression has received poor media cover as "quiet simply the Saudis are preventing the international journalists from travelling to Yemen. There are no flights into Yemen; they [Saudis] banned the flights to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen."

The Russian diplomat also added that "Until recently Journalists were allowed to take Yemen flights, but now Saudis say no. Therefore there is very little media presence in Yemen. It's extremely extremely tragic that this conflict s being overlooked".

Churkin also suggested that Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes on Yemen has further strengthened al-Qaeda in Yemen.

"Very bitter bloody fighting of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is becoming more active," he said.

The United Nations humanitarian aid official in Yemen has recently announced that the civilian death toll during Saudi war on Yemen has reached 10,000, with 40,000 others wounded.

The bloody war has also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools and factories.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said late on January that more than one third of the country’s population is in dire need of humanitarian aid and the country could face famine this year unless immediate action is taken to stop the ongoing conflict.

During a UN Security Council, O’Brien said "an astounding 10.3 million Yemenis ... require immediate assistance to save or sustain their lives [and] at least two million people need emergency food assistance to survive."

He mentioned the ongoing conflict in Yemen as “the primary driver of the largest food security emergency in the world”.

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