Geneva, May 22 (IANS) At least 1,037 civilians have been killed between March 26 and May 20 in Yemen as a result of widespread and protracted violence affecting the country, a UN agency said on Friday.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) revealed that 2,453 civilians had been injured, including 130 women and 234 children, Xinhua news agency reported.
The total toll for the country has now reached more than 1,850.
As the plight of civilians worsens, OHCHR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said: “4,000 inmates are reported to have fled detention facilities since the conflict began, with many having been killed or injured.”
According to reports, several prisons have been affected by fighting amid deteriorating detention conditions because of endemic lack of food, water, fuel and sanitation facilities in the country.
Outbreaks of scabies and mycosis further confirm the worsening health environment in these prisons and detention facilities, where the risk of diseases spreading is increasing due to severely affected waste-management systems.
While last week’s five-day ceasefire offered some respite to Yemenis, allowing aid to reach vulnerable populations, the humanitarian crisis continues to grow in the war-torn country.
In light of this, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has launched a $84-million appeal to address some of the prevalent humanitarian issues, which have been compounded by a resumption of violence since the humanitarian pause ended last Sunday.
According to IOM, over 550,000 people have now been displaced by the conflict, with large numbers heading towards the Horn of Africa.