The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about the plight of so many people who are stuck without health care facilities in Maareb, central Yemen. While the humanitarian situation gets worse by the hour, the ICRC has been denied access to the town where there is an urgent need of medical assistance as hospitals face acute shortages.
According to Cedric Schweizer, Head of the ICRC delegation in Sana’a, the wounded, including civilians and combatants, cannot get the lifesaving treatment they need. “We very much regret the lack of access to Maareb, where hospitals face shortages of medical equipment,” he affirmed.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) protects all those who choose to stay, or who are unable to leave. They must be allowed access to medical care and all health care facilities must be safeguarded and protected. The physical integrity and dignity of wounded civilians and combatants alike must be respected.
The ICRC reiterates its call for an immediate 24-hour pause in hostilities on humanitarian grounds. “We ask all parties to allow and facilitate timely access to all affected areas around the country so we can deliver much-needed medical assistance,” Schweizer stressed.
For further information, please contact:
Marie Claire Feghali, ICRC Sana’a, tel: +967 71 194 4343, sat phone: +8821621116248
Sitara Jabeen, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 24 78 or +41 79 536 92 31
Read more on ICRC’s work in Yemen:
Yemen: Aid supplies arrive amid fears for safety of medical staff