Russia sending humanitarian aid to Yemen as Saudi air raids continue

Saudi-led air raids killed 21 civilians in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Monday morning [Xinhua]

After Saudi-led air raids killed 21 civilians in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Monday morning, the Russian Emergencies Ministry has said it will send two planes with humanitarian aid to the violence-hit nation.

The Russian Ministry said the aircrafts, carrying over 46 tons of humanitarian aid, including canned meat, fish and baby food, will fly out to Yemen.

“By order of the Russian government, two Il-76 planes with humanitarian aid for population of the Republic of Yemen that suffered as a result of armed conflict, will leave the Moscow region to Yemen,” the press service said.

The United Nations brokered a pause in the fighting on Friday to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered although Saudi Arabia has said it does not recognize the truce.

The UN said earlier this weekend there were over 21 million Yemenis, or more than four-fifths of the country’s population, in need of humanitarian aid.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflicts between Houthis, the country’s main opposition group, and government forces since early 2015.

A Saudi-led Arab coalition has been bombing the Houthi militia and army forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 26, aiming to push them back from southern and central areas at the request of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

According to the United Nations, some 3,000 Yemenis have been killed since the conflict escalated in March.

 

 Source: Agencies