SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REPORTED CEASEFIRE IN NORTHERN YEMEN

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REPORTED CEASEFIRE IN NORTHERN YEMEN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that he is encouraged by news of a ceasefire agreement having been struck in northern Yemen, where 250,000 civilians have been uprooted since clashes in the country erupted in 2004.

International concern has mounted about the situation in Yemen, where Government forces have been fighting Al Houthi rebels in the northwest and extremist groups such as Al-Qaida are considered to be active. The country is one of the poorest in its region and also faces a periodic influx of refugees from across the seas in the Horn of Africa.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson today, Mr. Ban said that "he hopes that the ceasefire will hold and that it will provide an opportunity to fully resolve this conflict."

The number of people forced to flee their homes since fighting broke out in 2004 has more than doubled since just last August, and at least 170,000 refugees are currently sheltering in the country.

In recent weeks, some 7,000 people have streamed into Hajjah province each week from Sa'ada province in the north.

Last week, UN agencies warned that a lack of funding is hampering their efforts to assist the estimated 250,000 civilians uprooted by conflict in Yemen, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) saying it has received less than three per cent of the needed cash.

"We are facing a dramatic funding situation in Yemen and may be forced to scale down our operations for refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) there if we do not receive fresh contributions very soon," Melissa Fleming, UNHCR spokesperson, said.

The Secretary-General today underscored that "the UN continues to call for full access for humanitarian assistance to be provided to the affected civilian population."

Late last month, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the High-Level Meeting on Yemen, held in London, that the world is ready to assist the impoverished Arab nation make progress on the humanitarian, developmental and economic fronts.

"The many challenges faced by Yemen can only be addressed in a systemic and comprehensive way," Mr. Pascoe said, stressing that the Government and its people must be at the centre of this approach.

"But it is clear that the international community will need to support the Government's efforts to tackle the underlying causes of the country's difficulties. This support is fundamental in sustaining the country's long-term stability and security, countering the terrorist threat, boosting its economy, meeting its development needs and fighting poverty."