Civilians need aid after Yemen offensive against Al Qaeda
William Lambers
September 22, 2010
The government of Yemen is carrying out an offensive against Al Qaeda in the southern part of the country. AFP reports today that in the town of Hota, many civilians are trapped by the fighting and are being used by Al Qaeda as human shields. Thousands of others have fled the town. The Yemeni Red Crescent says the refugees need food, blankets and medical supplies. AFP says:
While the situation for residents still in Hota is dangerous, those who fled also face a tough road.
"I am living with no shelter, like hundreds of other refugees, without any aid from authorities or charities," said Adnan Mohammed Ali, a refugee in Kharma, three kilometres (1.8 miles) from Hota.
"People need help, said Hussein bin Abdullah Bahanan, a tribal leader from Hota who was reached by telephone in Bureika, a village in the area where he is currently living."
The people of Yemen continue to suffer shock after shock. Not only is the country plagued by Al Qaeda, but millions of Yemenis suffer from hunger and poverty. In Northern Yemen, a conflict has forced displacement of around 300,000 Yemenis who depend on humanitarian aid. Low funding for the UN World Food Programme has forced ration cuts for those displaced.
The road to peace in Yemen is daunting and challenging as today's events tragically demonstrate. It is a painful road for many Yemenis. The international community can provide the interim aid to help Yemen through these harsh times.
This effort has to be followed by implementing a roadmap to end hunger and poverty in the country. Food will be the basis of the peace and reconstruction. The solutions are out there, waiting to be implemented. They just need the support and will of the international community to put them into action.
See also:
Feed those displaced by the war in Yemen
Food for Education critical for Yemen and the Millennium Development Goals
Al Qaeda, war, hunger and poverty
While the situation for residents still in Hota is dangerous, those who fled also face a tough road.
"I am living with no shelter, like hundreds of other refugees, without any aid from authorities or charities," said Adnan Mohammed Ali, a refugee in Kharma, three kilometres (1.8 miles) from Hota.
"People need help, said Hussein bin Abdullah Bahanan, a tribal leader from Hota who was reached by telephone in Bureika, a village in the area where he is currently living."
The people of Yemen continue to suffer shock after shock. Not only is the country plagued by Al Qaeda, but millions of Yemenis suffer from hunger and poverty. In Northern Yemen, a conflict has forced displacement of around 300,000 Yemenis who depend on humanitarian aid. Low funding for the UN World Food Programme has forced ration cuts for those displaced.
The road to peace in Yemen is daunting and challenging as today's events tragically demonstrate. It is a painful road for many Yemenis. The international community can provide the interim aid to help Yemen through these harsh times.
This effort has to be followed by implementing a roadmap to end hunger and poverty in the country. Food will be the basis of the peace and reconstruction. The solutions are out there, waiting to be implemented. They just need the support and will of the international community to put them into action.
See also:
Feed those displaced by the war in Yemen
Food for Education critical for Yemen and the Millennium Development Goals
Al Qaeda, war, hunger and poverty
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