U.N. seeks speedier inspections on Yemen-bound goods to import fuel

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen urged a Saudi-led coalition to ease its inspection regime to allow vital commercial and humanitarian goods into the country.

It was particularly critical to import fuel into Yemen to run hospital generators and pumps for the water and sanitation system, Johannes van der Klaauw told a U.N. briefing in Geneva via audio link from Sanaa.

“The arms embargo and its inspection regime results in commercial goods, be it by air or ship, no longer reaching the country. The inspection regime needs to be simplified, needs to be made faster so that commercial and also humanitarian imports of fuel in the first place and also food and other
life-sustaining necessities can be resumed,” van der Klaauw said.

Fighting and skirmishes continue in localized areas including Aden and Taiz, impeding access to civilians, he said, despite a five-day humanitarian truce which started on Tuesday.