Local Editor
The United Nations called on the Saudi-led coalition not to bomb the Yemeni port of Hodeida, a key entry point for aid to the war-torn country.
Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said Hodeida on the Red Sea, which is under the control of the Houthi Ansarullah movement, is a vital lifeline for Yemeni civilians threatened with starvation.
He said the coalition, which started bombing Yemen two years ago, needed to take humanitarian concerns into account.
"We continue to advocate to the Saudi-led coalition that the attack on the port of Hodeida and the city itself is not necessary," McGoldrick told reporters in Jordan's capital Amman.
"This port is the most essential, the most crucial part of our ability to feed people and get medical services" into Yemen, he said.
"The Hodeida port is the only port that we can use to serve the bulk of the population in need," McGoldrick said.
The UN has appealed for $2.1 billion in international assistance for Yemen and McGoldrick said he hoped for commitments during an aid conference in Geneva next week.
"The amount that we are asking for is for life saving, is to address the very basic needs of the Yemeni people," he said.
Saudis launched their military campaign in Yemen in March 2015. So far the violence has killed over 12,000 people, creating a humanitarian catastrophe. The Saudi-imposed naval and sea blockade of Yemen is literally starving the population leaving an estimated 18 million in need of humanitarian assistance.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
