Geneva — United Nations agencies are preparing a massive humanitarian aid operation in Yemen. Several UN agencies said they aimed to take advantage of the expected calm to get desperately needed supplies into Yemen and also to distribute the aid already in the country. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said the agency was “ready to provide emergency food rations to over 750,000 people in conflict-hit areas of Yemen during the pause.” On Saturday, a ship carrying 250,000 litres (about 66,000 gallons) of fuel reached the Yemeni port of Hodeida, and another vessel carrying 120,000 litres is in international waters near the port, awaiting clearance to dock, Byrs said. UN refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards said “a huge airlift of humanitarian aid” would go to Sanaa “over the next days.” Edwards told reporters the plan was to send three flights carrying aid from UNHCR stockpiles in Dubai, including 300 tonnes of sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting. The World Health Organization said it would also “scale up its activities.” Spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said there were 11 metric tonnes of medical kits already in Yemen, which would be moved to field locations across the country. Meanwhile, the newly appointed UN envoy to Yemen arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Tuesday, an airport official said. Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who was appointed in late April, toured Gulf countries before traveling to Sanaa. The envoy said he will hold talks on restarting the political dialogue. A Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on the rebels and allied renegade army units on March 26. — Agencies
