Humanitarian crisis in Yemen

Ongoing battles in the south of Yemen have left at least 26 people dead, as government forces attempt to recapture the capital of the province of Abyan from al-Qaida militants. In a separate development, sectarian clashes in northern Yemen have left at least 16 people dead since the beginning of this week.

The fighting has led to a severe deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Abyan, and hampered efforts by aid agencies to deliver urgently needed assistance. “The situation for the people is getting worse,” said Dibeh Fakhr, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross. She said more than 100,000 people may be displaced if the urgent needs of the population are not met.

The ICRC, she said, is calling on all parties involved in the conflict “to grant immediate and unconditional access” for the International Committee of the Red Cross to enter Abyan. “We need that immediate access, we need security guarantees for our teams so that we can deliver the urgently needed assistance for the population.”

She said the Red Cross is calling for all parties to take "all feasible and possible precautions and measures to spare civilian lives. They have to distinguish between the civilians and those that are taking part in the combat, and they have to respect and protect medical and humanitarian personnel, and make sure that all wounded have access to secure and safe medical care.”

Listen to the full interview of Dibeh Fakhr with Christopher Wells: