Save the Children, 13th December 2018
Save the Children statement following reports that the warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeidah and the reopening of Sanaa airport.
Following reports that the warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeidah and the reopening of Sanaa airport, Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children's Yemen Country Director, said:
“The warring parties must implement the steps agreed in Sweden, in line with international humanitarian law. The world will be watching. A ceasefire in Hodeidah, and the reopening of Sanaa airport to domestic flights, are important first steps to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yemen.
“We must use this window of opportunity as a critical first step in achieving a sustainable and nation-wide ceasefire, get more life-saving aid and commercial goods into and throughout the country and reach the children and families who need it most. It’s quite literally a matter of life and death, in a country where some 85,000 children are already believed to have died from extreme hunger and disease, entirely preventable causes.
“Only an end to the war can bring lasting relief to Yemeni people but until then, the international community must continue to put pressure on all sides to urgently address the humanitarian crisis to avoid a full-blown famine. That means easing restrictions on humanitarian and commercial imports, stabilising the collapsing economy and stopping the fighting so no more lives are lost. The UN Security Council must demand that all sides implement the steps agreed to in Sweden at Friday’s crucial meeting in New York.
“This is the best chance we’ve had in more than four years to end this brutal war and ensure a brighter future for Yemen’s children, tens of thousands of whom have already died because of it.”
Spokespeople available in London and Sanaa.
Kindly contact:
Bhanu Bhatnagar
B.Bhatnagar@savethechildren.org.uk
+44 7467 096788
Out-of-hours
+44 7831 650409
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Save the Children has over 50 years of experience working in Yemen. Operational in the country since 1963, the charity was the first international aid group in Yemen. We work nationally and locally to promote and protect children’s rights, with programmes in education, protection, health, nutrition, water, livelihoods, and food security. For more see here.
- Save the Children stands side by side with children in the toughest places to be a child. We do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, get protection when they’re in danger, and have the chance to learn. Together, we fight for children every single day.
- Donate to Save the Children’s Yemen Appeal here.
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