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| Arabia |
| YEMEN: Humanitarian crisis looms if rebel group not stopped |
| 2007-02-07 |
| Yemeni officials and activists have warned of a humanitarian crisis in northern Yemen should clashes continue between government forces and supporters of Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi, a radical Shi'ite religious leader who was killed in September 2004. In five and a half years of Rantburging, we've noticed that most things will lead to humanitarian crises. On Monday, Yemeni government officials said that at least 42 Yemeni soldiers had been killed and 81 wounded in just over a week of clashes with al-Houthi supporters in the northern governorate of Saada. The army's definitely got a humanitarian crisis going, though I doubt the usual suspects are concerned about the boyz in khaki. Khalid al-Anesi, Executive Director of the National Organisation for Defending Freedoms and Rights, an NGO, told IRIN that the clashes in Saada will have negative consequences at the national level. "Several houses have already been destroyed [in Saada], students no longer go to school, agricultural farms have been damaged and work has come to a standstill," he said. Al-Anesi added that security in Saada province was deteriorating quickly and it would be difficult to provide humanitarian assistance because of increasing instability. Guess who they blame for that state of affairs? The rights activist blamed the government for the situation as it did not take legal action against the perpetrators of violence when the clashes between al-Houthi supporters and government forces first erupted in 2004. "The state had to resort to using power even it had no legal justification," he said, adding that "only citizens will pay the cost of this instable situation". |
| Posted by:Fred |