UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations on Wednesday voiced concern over the impact of continued fighting in Yemen on civilians.
Fierce fighting continues in Yemen, including in Marib, Shabwah and Al Bayda governorates, where clashes have escalated over recent weeks. This escalation is having an increasingly devastating impact on civilians, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Nearly 10,000 people were displaced in Marib in September, the highest rate recorded in the governorate in a single month so far this year, it said.
The United Nations is particularly concerned about the situation in Al Abdiyah District in the southwest of Marib. The district, home to an estimated 35,000 people, including many who had found refuge there after fleeing the conflict in neighboring areas, has been encircled by Houthi forces since late September, it said.
The United Nations urges all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including ensuring the protection of civilians and providing safe passage for those fleeing conflict areas. The world body also calls on the parties to facilitate safe, timely and sustained humanitarian access to all affected areas of Yemen, including in Marib, Shabwah and Al Bayda, said OCHA.