UN proposes 'hours-ceasefire' to help affected in north

SANA'A, Sep. 02 (Saba) - The UN has put forward a proposal to the Yemeni government calling for ceasing fire in the northern parts of the republic several hours a day in an attempt to enable relief
organizations to provide the war-affected people with aid.

The two parts must work
to provide
safe routes to allow in relief materials for thousands of people, the UNDP
representative in the country Pratibha Mehta said. During a meeting with the UNDP
staff, Mehta
said clashes between the government forces and the Houthi rebels in Saada and some
parts of Amran have displaced 150.000 people. These people have lost their homes and
are
in an urgent need for food, shelter and health services daily, Mehta said. With the
war continuing, more people are affected and displaced to three more provinces,
Hajjah,
Amran and Jawf, she said. The main responsibility of the UN is to provide aid for
the affected but not to be a mediator between the two clashing parties, she
affirmed, and
so the two sides must help ' us to reach out the people'. The war in northern Yemen
is continuing with the government vowing to go on until the rebels are eliminated.
FR