Iranian aid ship to berth in Yemen: official

Necessary cooradination has been made with ‘relevant sides’ at the United Nations for horboring of the Iranian aid ship in Yemen, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday.

He said that Iran has already began airlifting medical and food aid to Yemen through Oman and Djibouti.

The Nejat (Rescue) cargo ship, containing 2,500 tons of much-needed aid, including food, medical supplies and tents, left the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas for Yemen on Monday.

The aid consignment was donated by the IRCS and would reach Yemen’s port of al-Hodeidah in the Red Sea within the next 10 to 12 days.

A group of doctors are also on board the ship with a mission to help the poor people of Yemen, who have been seriously affected by Saudi military strikes over the past 50 days.

Yemen’s humanitarian cease-fire came under significant strain in its first 24 hours Wednesday, disrupted by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike, fighting in a strategic province and shelling by coalition warships west of the port city of Aden.

Commenting on the repeated cases of violating the enforced ceasefire by the Saudi regime, Amir-Abdollahian said Saudi Arabia is ‘repeating its mistakes.’

Yemen, with its almost 25 million people has endured shortages of food, water, medicine and electricity as a result of a Saudi-led naval, air and land blockade.

The cease-fire is meant to help ease the suffering of civilians in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country.

The new UN envoy to Yemen is Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed who in a statement late Wednesday, welcomed the humanitarian truce.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran supports the UN new envoy who is currently based in Sana.