OHCA: Parts of Yemen face crisis - United Press International

GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Parts of southern Yemen are on the verge of a humanitarian crisis as ongoing conflicts limit access to basic necessities, a U.N. agency said.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a deal last year to transfer power to Vice President Abdurabu Mansur Hadi in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Saleh survived an assassination attempt in June as his country was swept up in the so-called Arab Spring.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 6,000 people were facing a major humanitarian crisis because of civil unrest in southern Yemen. OCHA said there was a general breakdown of social services in the region.

Yemen is to have presidential elections this month. The International Committee of the Red Cross had said, however, that transition hasn't yielded any economic benefits in a country where "tens of thousands" of families are internally displaced.

Saleh is in the United States seeking medical treatment for wounds suffered during the June attack. The United Nations opposed the immunity deal, though Washington said he enjoys diplomatic privileges extending to heads of state.