Red Cross appeals for aid for victims of Yemen army-rebel fighting

May 14, 2008, 14:38 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday appealed to donors to provide around 8 million dollars to back its operations in the conflict-hit northern Yemeni province of Saada.

Deadly skirmishes between the army and Shiite rebels have been raging on and off since 2004 in Saada, a remote mountainous province located some 230 kilometres north of the capital Sana'a.

The committee said in a statement that renewed fighting in Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia, 'has resulted in a further deterioration in living conditions.'

It asked donors for an additional 8.5 million Swiss francs (8 million dollars) for its Yemen budget to respond to the increasing needs for aid owing to the fighting.

'The region has not yet recovered from four years of conflict. Even before the most recent fighting, more than 100,000 people had been directly affected, urgently requiring humanitarian aid,' Marcus Dolder, the head of the ICRC's delegation in Yemen said.

As a result of the latest confrontations, 'thousands of civilians are currently fleeing their homes to seek refuge where they can be assisted and cared for.'

He said ICRC teams were working closely with the Yemen Red Crescent Society to provide these people with shelter and emergency assistance.

'The ICRC is concerned about the security and living conditions of civilians affected by the fighting and appeals to all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law,' the ICRC's statement said.

'In particular, it urges them to distinguish at all times between civilians and people taking a direct part in hostilities, and to treat all casualties with humanity.'

The ICRC said it plans to use the additional funds to step up the provision of food, water, shelter, essential household items and medical support in all areas of Saada.

It said the committee was also ready to provide life-saving surgical treatment for the wounded where required.

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was willing to oversee a peaceful end to the fighting between Yemeni army and Shiite rebels near its south-western border.

The conflict began in mid-2004 after Shiite cleric Hussein al- Houthi, established the Believing Youth movement and organized a series of protests in Sana'a and other major cities to voice their slogan 'Death to America ... Death to Israel.'

Hussein was killed by the army in September the same year after months of bloody fighting with government forces.

Waves of violent clashes have since left hundreds of government troops and rebels dead, and displaced thousands of civilians from Saada.

Authorities accuse the rebels, known as Houthis, of trying to re- install the imamate rule that was toppled by a republican revolution in northern Yemen in 1962.

The rebels, who belong mostly to the moderate Zaidi sect of Islam, say they were only defending their areas from army offensives.

Last week, representatives of Yemeni authorities and the rebels began a new round of talks in Saada to revive a fragile Qatari- brokered ceasefire.