Sana’a: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday said that tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians are trapped by fighting during a U.S.-backed army offensive on Islamist militants in the south of the country and urgently need help.
The Yemeni army is trying to recapture towns in the southern province of Abyan that were seized by al Qaeda-linked militants last year during a popular uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who formally stepped down in February.
In support of the army campaign, the United States has stepped up drone strikes against suspected members of an al Qaeda branch that is one of its main global security concerns.
“We are extremely concerned about the people trapped inside, and about the dire situation in Jaar, Shaqra and in nearby areas where fighting is going on,” Eric Marclay, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, said in a statement.
“Our staff were there a few days ago to assess the situation and found serious, urgent needs that, if not met, could lead to the displacement of over 100,000 people. Thousands of people have already fled to safer places.”
The ICRC said that residents were facing food, power and water shortages, while and health-care services are inadequate.
On Tuesday, all the roads to Abyan were blocked and movement in and out of the province was restricted, it added.
The Geneva-based ICRC urged all combatants to grant it immediate access and security guarantees.
Concerned about the humanitarian and security crisis in Yemen, Gulf Arab states and the West pledged more than $4 billion (2.58 billion pounds) in aid to the impoverished state last month, $3.25 billion of which pledged by Saudi Arabia alone.
About 40 percent of Yemenis live on less than $2 a day. Aid agencies said in May almost half of them lack enough to eat.
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Sakhr al-Wajih said The World Bank has agreed to give Yemen $100 million “as a direct support for the budget.” His comments to state news agency Saba came after a meeting with U.S. Treasury’s assistant secretary for international affairs, Charles Collyns, in the capital Sanaa.
In April, Yemen’s parliament approved a 2012 budget with a deficit of 561 billion rials ($2.6 billion) and a sharp rise in spending to meet demands for more jobs and social services.
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