Yemen

The head of UNICEF has called for "immediate and secure" access to people uprooted by escalating clashes - mostly children and women - between Government forces and rebels in northern Yemen. "Children cannot be the innocent victims of conflict," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a statement, noting that the agency stands ready to assist civilians caught up in the conflict. The humanitarian situation in camps, she said, is becoming ever more dire due to the lack of basic services, including safe water, sanitation and nutrition. (UN News Service)