Al-Kathiri Discusses with UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Ways to Strengthen Humanitarian Work in the South

Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Chairman of the National Assembly, met on Monday at the headquarters of the Assembly, Ms. Iman al-Shanqiti, Deputy Coordinator-General for Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations in the country.

In the beginning of the meeting, which was attended by lawyer Niran Souqi, head of the Humanitarian Aid and Relief Commission (HARC) assisting the Presidium of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Mr. Al-Kathiri welcomed Ms. al-Shanqiti and her visit to the capital, Aden, praising the role of the United Nations office and its humanitarian interventions in the country.

The meeting discussed the pressing issue of refugees and the large influx of displaced persons into residential areas. This has placed a heavy burden on the host community and local authorities in providing essential services amid the current economic and living conditions. In addition, the ongoing military escalation by the Houthi militia in border areas and the weak performance of the executive unit managing displacement camps further exacerbate the situation.

The meeting discussed ways to enhance humanitarian efforts in the capital, Aden, and other governorates of the South and liberated areas, immediate solutions to the influx of displaced persons, and support for an overburdened host community. The meeting also focused on the equitable distribution of donor support between South and North and promoting the voluntary return of displaced people to safe areas.

The STC acting president stressed the importance of joint cooperation and coordination with local authorities in the governorates, the council's HARC, and the central statistics agency to ensure reaching all displaced persons and the host community and achieving tangible results on the ground, reiterating the STC's firm rejection of any attempts to settle displaced persons in the South.

For her part, Ms. Iman al-Shanqiti affirmed the UN Office's readiness to address humanitarian needs to the best of its ability and to focus on sustainable programs that have proven successful in the reality of society and expressed gratitude for the role of the STC and local authorities in the governorates for providing all necessary facilities to ensure the success of the UN Office and humanitarian organizations working in the relief and humanitarian field in general.