Red Cross warns Yemen situation can worsen further

Red Cross warns Yemen situation can worsen further Geneva - The ongoing conflict in northern Yemen has been preventing the delivery of needed humanitarian supplies to people affected by the fighting, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned Thursday, adding that the situation could get worse.

"Unless more is done to protect civilians and ensure that they can receive life-saving aid, the situation will worsen further," the ICRC said in a statement.

The reigning insecurity in the key province of Sa'ada has forced the ICRC to relocate its foreign staff out of the area, until the situation improves. Delivering aid to people in these areas "remains a challenge."

An ICRC official said the organization was unable to reach many of the people in need of food, water and medicines, and noted that the fighting itself was increasingly putting civilians at risk.

"The ICRC calls upon all those who can influence the situation on the ground to take every feasible measure to ensure that the civilian population is protected and facilitate immediate and safe passage for humanitarian aid," the statement read.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates 150,000 people have been displaced or otherwise affected by the fighting in Yemen since 2004.

Many people's homes have been damaged or destroyed and they were increasingly unable to purchase basic goods, as the violence has caused a depletion of their resources and led to soaring prices.

The country has been wracked by fighting in the northwest where the government launched a military offensive against Shiite rebels in August.

Last week the south region saw thousands of people take to the streets calling for support for their demands for secession from the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, Yemen is hosting some 150,000 refugees from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia. (dpa)