West, Arab States Only Pay ‘Lip Service’ to Yemen Humanitarian Aid, Says Churkin

The UN Security Council is paying “lip service” to Yemen’s humanitarian needs – that is the accusation voiced by Russian UN Envoy VitalyChurkin following Friday’s meeting, where Russia’s proposal for a humanitarian pause in hostilities was left in limbo.

These comments follow an escalation in casualties in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia stands accused of indiscriminate bombing, claiming the lives of innocent civilians.

Thousands flooded the streets of the capital Sanaa on Friday to voice their powerlessness over the situation for the second time in two weeks.

Russia implored the Security Council to agree at least on a temporary ceasefire plan to allow for the delivery of aid, but Churkin saw his three-paragraph proposal being met with “procrastination”.

“I was prepared to drop a reference to (a call for) an immediate ceasefire, just at the very least they need to have periodic humanitarian pauses to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies, they couldn’t even agree to that,” the Russian envoy told reporters after the closed-door meeting.

“If you cannot agree to a simple statement what can you agree on… They pay lip service, they say ‘things are very bad, but what can we do about it.”

The representatives are said to be discussing the proposal further with their governments, but Churkin remained “pretty sure” on Friday that “we will not have any statement today“.

“This really shows an amazing indecision and I think lack of understanding of how things are evolving,” the Russian envoy added.

The permanent representative stressed earlier that the United States supported the coalition bombing of Yemen and so it should also “bear the responsibility for the humanitarian consequences, the responsibility for the inviolability of diplomatic facilities“.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 38 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 3,108 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, the monarchy declared end to Yemen airstrikes after five weeks of bombings, but airstrikes are still underway.

FNA

R.S