Local authorities in Marib Governorate (northeastern Yemen) met with UN officials on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, to discuss the humanitarian situation, the plight of displaced persons, and their urgent needs in the region.

The meetings, held separately, saw Marib Deputy Governor Abdulrabah Muftah meet with Charles Frisbee, Senior Advisor to the UN Office for Project Services and Humanitarian Mine Action, and Ahmed Hamada, Head of Operations at the UN Office for Safety and Security.

According to the official Yemeni news agency Saba, Muftah briefed the UN officials on the humanitarian and relief situation in Marib, highlighting the dire living conditions of displaced persons due to insufficient international support and slow response to their basic needs.

Muftah also addressed the suffering of Yemenis caused by landmines planted by the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization. These mines, indiscriminately placed in homes, farms, and public roads, have resulted in countless civilian casualties, especially women and children.

The Deputy Governor emphasized the need to address the plight of landmine victims, providing them with care, support, and justice, ensuring their rights are upheld and their losses compensated.

Muftah commended the efforts of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) in clearing landmines in Yemen, removing hundreds of thousands of explosive devices and protecting Yemenis from their dangers.

He stressed the importance of UN assistance in training and equipping local mine clearance teams, as well as in educating displaced populations about the dangers of landmines, considering it a major challenge they face.

The UN officials, in turn, affirmed that their visit to Marib aimed to strengthen partnerships and coordination with local authorities in implementing various UN programs and projects in the governorate, particularly in mine action, security, and safety.

They expressed appreciation for the local authorities' ongoing cooperation with UN organizations and international humanitarian and relief agencies operating in the region, including facilitating their work, achieving their goals, and responding promptly to the needs of displaced people in Marib, according to Saba.