For Immediate Release
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is horrified by an attack launched today by the Saudi-led coalition on the Yemeni city of Hudeidah, despite repeated calls for all parties to exercise military restraint on this vital port which serves as a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The following statement is attributable to Homer Venters, MD, director of programs for PHR:
“PHR calls for strong measures to be put into place immediately to protect civilians in the area surrounding Hudeidah. Civilians must receive the necessary humanitarian aid to survive amid the unrelenting air and ground attacks which are taking place with little regard to their catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
“These attacks will undoubtedly aggravate the already-dire humanitarian situation on the ground and are certain to instill further fear and suffering on the civilian population. The majority of life-saving medication which enters Yemen passes through the Hudeidah port. All parties must do everything within their power to ensure that the port remains functional so that medicine, food, and other essential goods can get in, and to allow safe passage for civilians fleeing the area.”
Read more about PHR’s Yemen work.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.