UN ships medicine to 1.2 million people in war-torn central Yemen

United Nations, Dec 29: The UN health agency has delivered more than 100 tonnes of medicines and supplies for 1.2 million people in strife-torn Yemen's central Taiz governorate, Xinhua reported.

More than three million people, of whom, almost 400,000 were internally displaced, are in dire need of humanitarian aid in Yemen's central Taiz governorate, UN officials said here on Monday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Yemen, Ahmed Shadoul, was quoted by the officials here as saying that the UN agency is calling on all parties to guarantee unrestricted, long-term delivery of humanitarian aid and unconditional movement of health workers.

The aid consists of urgently needed oxygen cylinders, medicines and medical devices, including surgical supplies and equipment for the treatment of trauma cases, and has been distributed to 13 hospitals and health centres, as well as replenishing the local health department's stocks for future needs.

"The health situation in Taiz has increasingly deteriorated. Shortages in health staff, medicines and fuel, as well as limited access by the humanitarian community due to the insecurity, have caused many health facilities in the governorate to shut down," Shadoul said.

The distribution of an additional 22 tonnes of medical aid to five health facilities in Sala, Al-Qahera and Al-Mudhaffar districts of Taiz City is on hold due to access difficulties.

IANS