Heavy clashes among rival factions killed more than 100 people in the past 24 hours, as the Red Cross continues to face delays on its aid deliveries, AFP reported Monday.
Fighting between Houthis and President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi supporters intensified — killing 53 in Aden, at least 34 militants in the town of Daleh, seven more in the southern province of Abyan, and several more in nearby Lahj. At least 17 of the casualties were civilians, officials told AFP.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross sought to deliver shipments of medical aid to Yemen's capital. After complaints the Saudi-led coalition, who controls the airspace, has been delaying the arrival, the coalition approved the aid agency's shipments. But the plane with medicine and surgical kits is still stuck on the tarmac due to "logistical" issues, according to AFP.
“We have a cargo plane with medical supplies which is ready to go,” said Sitara Jabeen, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“We have the permission for this plane but we have logistical problems for the landing," she told AFP. "There are less and less planes landing in Yemen. We are trying to solve the logistic problems."
The conflict has drawn in several rival factions that have escalated the violence, including al-Qaeda militants and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh loyalists.
The Red Cross has called for a ceasefire to immediately allow the delivery of 48 tons of medical aid and a surgical team. The organization said the supplies are enough to treat up to 3,000 people as hospitals are overrun with hundreds of wounded people. The UN said more than 500 people have been killed from the conflict.
