Friday, May 1, 2015

UN World Health Organization: 1,244 people have been killed in Yemen conflict

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly 1,250 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Yemen since mid March. 

On Friday, the UN health agency said 1,244 Yemenis had lost their lives and 5,044 had been injured from March 19 to April 27. 

Hundreds of women and children are among those killed, according to the WHO. 

Riyadh launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 - without a United Nations mandate - in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and to restore power to the country’s fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh. 

Hadi fled to Riyadh on March 25 when Houthis bore down on the strategic port city of Aden after taking control of the Yemeni capital last September. 

WHO said that on April 26 alone, about 20 people had been killed after Saudi airstrikes which targeted the local al-Thawra hospital in the city of Ta'izz. 

The agency also warned on Friday that most roads connecting the capital, Sana’a, to Aden, Ta'izz, al-Dhaale, and Lahj “were becoming gradually inaccessible,” making the distribution of medication difficult. 

This comes as Yemenis are already facing a severe shortage of medicine and health staff. 

Actual casualties are thought to be higher as many people are not taken to hospitals and therefore are not included in statistics from Yemeni health facilities, which provide WHO with updates. 

Earlier in the day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned of a dire shortage of fuel in Yemen, saying it may stop relief operations completely. 

On April 21, Riyadh announced the end of the first phase of its unlawful military operations, but airstrikes have continued with Saudi bombers targeting different areas across the country in a new phase. 

There has been an effective blockade on Yemen during the ongoing Saudi Arabian aggression, with airports being closed to civilian traffic and naval shipments experiencing numerous delays. 

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