UAE aid ship arrives in Aden to bring much-needed relief

A UN World Food Programme ship also docked in the port city on Tuesday. It comes after pro-government forces recaptured most of the city from Houthi rebels.

A United Nations World Food Programme ship docks in the port of Aden, Yemen. Wam

ADEN // A UAE aid ship was able to dock safely in Aden on Tuesday now that Houthi rebels have been driven out of the city.

The vessel carrying 2,315 tonnes of medical aid was joined by a UN World Food Programme ship with 4,700 tonnes of food and pharmaceutical aid. Oil also arrived at the port for the city’s refinery.

Aid chiefs had tried repeatedly in the past few weeks to deliver relief to Aden but were unable to do so after rebels overran the city.

“This is a major breakthrough for our humanitarian response,” WFP regional director Muhannad Hadi said. “While we have been able to reach several areas of southern Yemen by land, docking at the port of Aden allows us to accelerate our response to meet urgent needs.”

Over the past week, forces loyal to exiled president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi have recaptured most of Aden from the Iranian-backed rebels and their renegade military allies.

The loyalist advances were backed by air strikes by the Saudi-led Arab coalition that began a bombing campaign against the rebels in late March.

A UAE technical team arrived on Monday to repair the tower and passenger terminal at Aden international airport, heavily damaged in clashes before rebels were driven out.

Late last week the exiled prime minister Khaled Bahah declared Aden liberated, although rebel pockets have fought on in some districts.

On the ground in Aden, fighting continued. Battles just east of Aden killed about 20 rebels and 10 loyalists.

Coalition aircraft launched dozens of raids north of the city, destroying tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers.

The governor of Aden, Nayef Al Bakri, said Hadi forces and local allies had now taken full control of the city, and authorities were working to restore basic utilities.

Rebel bombardment on Sunday killed 57 civilians in the northern Aden suburb of Dar Saad, according to local health chief Al Khader Laswar.

The rebels still control much of the country, helped by forces loyal to the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In rebel-controlled Sanaa, a car bombing by ISIL militants near a Shiite mosque on Monday killed four people.

ISIL have carried out a string of deadly attacks against Shiite targets in Yemen since March.

The Houthis, who overran Sanaa last September, also lost 11 fighters in other attacks in the capital on Monday night.

Six were killed in a shooting at a checkpoint near the central bank and five more in a car bombing at a police station.

In the south-eastern province of Hadramawt, the Emirates Red Crescent handed out gifts to 5,000 displaced Yemeni children in celebration of Eid Al Fitr.

The Emirati humanitarian agency gave out electronic toys, sweets and painting tools to children affected by the war who were living in makeshift shelters.

The Red Crescent has been providing basic educational, health and social services for children affected by the war.

A humanitarian ceasefire declared by the United Nations this month failed to take hold. The WFP had described the truce as the “final hope” to deliver aid.

The WFP had sent aid before the truce to the rebel-controlled port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, but the insurgents did not allow an aid convoy to travel to Aden.

The UN had warned then that the impoverished country was just “one step away from famine”.

More than 21.1 million people – over 80 per cent of Yemen’s population – are in need of aid, with 13 million facing food shortages.

The conflict has killed more than 3,640 people since late March, according to the UN.

* Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Wam