Two planes delivered desperately-needed medical aid to Yemen on Friday, Reuters reported. They carried 30 tonnes of medical equipment from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Two boatloads arrived in Yemen on Wednesday from the ICRC and Doctors Without Borders, delivering aid and a team of surgeons.
However, these deliveries are not enough, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Johannes van der Klauwe. "We got the first flights in, but we need many more flights coming in, many more boats."
Van der Klauwe appealed for an "immediate humanitarian pause in this conflict," to allow for the delivery of aid. "In order to make this effective we need space. This (humanitarian) pause, every day the air space cleared for aid flights coming in and out." He added that the air space above Sanaa should be cleared for at least several hours each day.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 650 people have died in the conflict and over 2000 have been injured. "The situation in Aden is extremely, extremely preoccupying if not catastrophic," said van der Klauwe.
However, as one of the poorest Arab nations, roughly two-thirds of Yemen's population of 25 million was in need of aid before the conflict started.
Yemen has gradually spiraled toward humanitarian crisis since Houthi rebels stormed the capital of Sanaa last September. The rebels took control of the government in early February and a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes on the Houthis on March 26th.
