Yemeni political powers plead to UN to save Taiz

The Yemeni political powers on Saturday pleaded to the United Nations to take action to break a deadly siege on rebel-besieged Taiz City by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia and forces loyal to now-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh in order to save four million civilians from starving to death.

In a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Yemeni political parties reiterated their call for implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2216 and immediate intervention to break the siege as part of international conventions.

They noted that the rebels seize UN humanitarian aid shipments sent to besieged areas.

In a statement issued on December 23, 2015, the members of the Security Council welcomed the commitment of Yemeni parties to peace talks to ensure safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian aid delivery to all affected governorates, including in particular Taiz City.

The letter of the Yemeni parties noted that Taiz, to date, continues to be bombarded by the Houthi-Saleh militias with all types of weapons.

On December 30, 2015, the rebels shelled Al Thawra General Hospital, the last operational hospital in Taiz, an act the Yemeni politicians described as ‘an unprecedented criminal and brutal violation of human values’.

In the meantime, more civilians are dying of starvation and lack of medical supplies in Taiz as a direct result of the siege and the rebel bombardment, the Yemeni parties said in their letter to Ban Ki-moon.

 

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