24 Nov 2024
Tuesday 19 May 2015 - 23:40
Story Code : 165179

UN humanitarian chief due in Tehran tomorrow

TEHRAN (FNA)- UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos will arrive in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Yemen with senior Iranian officials.
The UN humanitarian chief will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tomorrow to brief him on the situation in Yemen.

On Wednesday, Amos and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a telephone conversation discussed the latest conditions in Yemen, specially immediate dispatch of humanitarian aid to the war-stricken nation.

During the phone talk, Amir Abdollahian blasted the Saudi regime for its aggressive moves against Yemen, and said, "Unfortunately the people of different regions of Yemen are suffering from a lack of the most basic and essential needs, including water, bread and medicine due to the continued Saudi-led military operations and the impossibility of sending humanitarian aid to that country."

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has made a lot of efforts to send medicine and foodstuff through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Yemen, but lack of cooperation by Saudi Arabia has blocked these efforts and in case this situation continues the humanitarian disaster will be intensified in Yemen," he added.

Amos, for her part, said that the UN has been considering dispatch of humanitarian aid to Yemen since the outbreak of the crisis in that country, but it has failed in its efforts as the two sides have not agreed on a ceasefire.

Yesterday, Zarif called on the UN to create a safe zone for unloading humanitarian aid to Yemen, adding that Tehran's 4-step Yemen peace initiative is the only logical plan for resolving the crisis in the Arab country.

"We have serious concerns about the current conditions in Yemen and the humanitarian crisis in the country and believe that the political solution is the only existing solution and national talks should start," Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Pter Szijjrt in Tehran on Monday.

"We hope that a permanent truce will be implemented in Yemen as soon as possible," he added.

Stressing the necessity of an immediate halt to air raids on civilian airports by the Saudi-led coalition, Zarif said, "The UN should create a protected zone in Yemen for sending humanitarian aids."

He also reminded of Iran's 4-step Yemen peace initiative presented to the UN before the start of the Saudi-led military aggression, and said, "It is the only logical plan existing now."

In April, Zarif wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and demanded adoption of the necessary moves by the world body to put an immediate end to the bloodshed, describing the conditions on the ground in Yemen as "alarming".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that all efforts, particularly those by the United Nations, should be guided, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, by the following objectives: 1. Ceasefire and an immediate end to all foreign military attacks; 2. Unimpeded urgent humanitarian and medical assistance to the people of Yemen; 3. Resumption of Yemeni-lead and Yemeni-owned national dialogue, with the participation of the representatives of all political parties and social groups; 4. Establishment of an inclusive national unity government," Zarif said in his letter.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 55 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 3,815 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

On April 21 and May 12, Saudi Arabia declared end to Yemen airstrikes after weeks of bombings, but it continued round-the-clock airstrikes.

By Fars News Agency
https://theiranproject.com/vdciywaz3t1aqz2.ilct.html
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