Ignoring Humanitarian Crisis, Saudi-led Bombing of Yemen Resumes

Despite desperate pleas from the United Nations and aid agencies that a humanitarian ceasefire be extended, the Saudi-led military assault on Yemen resumed late on Sunday after only five days of a tenuous truce that began last Tuesday.

Citing eye witness accounts by local residents, Reuters reports that airstrikes by Saudi-led forces began sometime after the ceasefire ended at 11 pm:

Speaking from weekend talks that took place in Riyadh, UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on Sunday called for an extension of the pause in fighting. “I call on all parties to renew their commitment to this truce for five more days at least,” Ahmed said. “This humanitarian truce should turn into a permanent ceasefire.”

UNICEF, meanwhile, said its relief operations during the five-day lull in fighting were mildly successful, but joined Ahmed in a call to extend the official cease-fire.

“During the pause, UNICEF was able to deliver assistance to affected people across the country, however humanitarian assistance cannot replace the needs of 26 million people who have been cut off from a regular supply of commercial imports of food and fuel,” said Julien Harneis, UNICEF Yemen’s Representative, speaking from the capital city of Sanaa. “Hundreds of adults and children have already died during this conflict, many of whom could have been saved had we got supplies to them on time. We need to do everything we can to prevent any more of these unnecessary deaths.”