By Jamal al-Jabiri
Red Cross, UN aid is first to be flown in to Yemen since fighting began - but is far from enough, says UN official.
The Red Cross and UN flew medical aid into Yemen's capital Friday after the southern city of Aden was battered by the heaviest night yet of Saudi-led air strikes targeting Houthis.
The UN also called for an immediate "humanitarian pause" of at least a few hours each day, saying aid was desperately needed in the conflict-ravaged country
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it dispatched an aircraft to Sanaa, its first aid shipment since the international campaign against the Houthis began last month.
"This is the first ICRC plane to have landed in Sanaa. It is loaded with 16 tonnes of medical aid," said Marie Claire Feghali, Red Cross spokeswoman in Yemen.
Residents and officials in Aden said the city was pounded overnight after Houthis and renegade army soldiers loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived at the city's northern entrance.
"The raids began at around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Thursday and were the most violent since the start of 'Operation Decisive Storm'," a resident told AFP.
Residents also said coalition aircraft targeted other positions, including a stadium in the centre of the city and checkpoints manned by the rebel forces.
More than two weeks of heavy bombardment by the Saudi-led alliance against opponents of exiled Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and fighting between rival militias prompted the UN call for a freeze in the violence.
UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, told reporters in Geneva on Friday that "immediate humanitarian pause in this conflict" was desperately needed.
He insisted that the aid that got through was far from enough.
The UN's children agency UNICEF said it had delivered 16 tonnes of aid by air to Sanaa, including medical supplies for 80,000 people as well as food supplements for 20,000 children.
"The supplies we have managed to bring in today can make the difference between life and death for children and their families," said UNICEF Yemen Representative Julien Harneis.
The Saudi-led coalition says it will continue its raids on Yemen until the Houthis, who seized control of Sanaa and central areas last year, retreat to their northern mountain stronghold.
No comments:
Post a Comment