国际英语新闻:Kerry in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Yemen Crisis

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday in Saudi Arabia that he would talk with Riyadh's leaders about a proposed humanitarian pause in the fighting by the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

"We have urged all sides, anybody involved, to comply with humanitarian law and to take every precaution to keep civilians out of the line of fire, out of harm's way, as well as to provide the opportunity for humanitarian assistance to be able to be delivered," he said.

Kerry will meet with Saudi leaders and Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Saudi Arabia for his own safety.

The Saudis have said they are considering a pause in airstikes and other action against the Houthis. Humanitarian aid workers have complained about how hard it has become to deliver food and other aid to Yemeni civilians.

Kerry said that for a pause to be effective, it would have to be respected.

“I think this would be welcomed news for the world if it were able to be effected in a way that does not see people try to take advantage of it and either secure more territory or attack people participating in a legitimate pause," he said.

A senior State Department official said that in addition to discussing Yemen’s crisis, Kerry and Saudi leaders would also talk about Syria’s unrest, Islamic State militants and the Iran nuclear negotiations.

Earlier in the day, Kerry met in Djibouti with President Ismail Omar Guelleh and other officials. Kerry said Somalia and Yemen’s unrest were among the issues they discussed.

Djibouti has played a key role in hosting Americans and other foreigners fleeing from violence in Yemen.

Kerry said there were signs that parties involved in Yemen’s conflict were ready to consider a  humanitarian pause. “In my conversation yesterday with another foreign minister from another country, there was an indication that others, the Houthi, might be willing to engage in a pause,” he said.

Kerry made his remarks during a joint appearance with Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

US aid to Yemen

During the appearance, Kerry also announced the U.S. would provide another $68 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen. The money will be used to provide food, water, shelter, medical care and other aid.

“Millions of vulnerable people urgently need help,” the secretary said.

The State Department said the money would help humanitarian organizations, which have been hampered by fuel shortages in the country, meet the needs of nearly 16 million people in Yemen affected by the country’s crisis, including about 300,000 who have been internally displaced.

Ahead of Kerry’s arrival in Djibouti, a senior State Department official said more than 500 American citizens evacuated from Yemen had come through Djibouti, along with an equal number of family members. The official said the number of foreigners leaving Yemen has been “steady.”