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First Red Cross aid plane lands in Yemen's capital

Xinhua, April 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

The first Red Cross plane carrying medical aid landed in Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Friday morning, more than two weeks after Saudi-led coalition forces launched airstrikes in the country, Yemeni authorities said.

The first cargo, carrying 16.4 tons of medicines, bandages and surgical equipments, landed safely in Sanaa international airport, officials at the airport authorities told Xinhua.

The emergency medical aid was delivered by the members of the Red Cross surgical team who will join doctors in local hospitals in Sanaa and other northern provinces to treat the wounded, an official said.

The first Red Cross cargo plane for Yemen was expected to arrive in Sanaa on Wednesday, but was delayed as the committee was waiting for permission from the coalition forces.

Early Friday, several Shiite Houthi targets and military bases in Sanaa were pounded by the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, with no immediate report of casualties so far.

Traffic in Sanaa is almost empty due to severe fuel shortage, as no flights or ships could bring supplies to Yemen that is besieged by the coalition forces for more than two weeks. In many districts in Sanaa, residents have no access to electricity and water.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia started late last month air strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and other cities, saying the multinational action is to protect President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's legitimacy and force the Houthis to retreat from cities they have seized since September 2014.

However, Houthi militia tightened grip on northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, and advanced to the southern provinces, including Aden, the main base of Hadi.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that at least 560 people, including dozens of children, were killed and 1,768 others wounded, while over 10,000 residents fled major cities since the Shiite Houthi fighters and their allies advanced into southern port city of Aden on March 19 and the start of the air campaign led by Saudi Arabia in support of Hadi on March 26. Endit