Red Cross: Aid yet to reach tens of thousands in northern Yemen

Oct 23, 2009, 16:00 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - Tens of thousands of civilians trapped in conflict areas or forced to flee homes amid fighting between government forces and Shiite rebels in north-western Yemen are receiving no aid, the Red Cross said on Friday.

'While people in northern Yemen are primarily concerned about safety, they must also struggle to obtain food, water, health care and shelter,' the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

'Tens of thousands in urgent need of aid are receiving nothing at all,' it read.

Thousands of civilians are still stuck on the borders with Saudi Arabia after fleeing the hostilities in the provinces of Saada and Amran, the latest round of fighting in a five-year conflict between the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and the national army.

'Tens of thousands of people remain out of reach, however, because of intense fighting and poor security,' Jean-Nicolas Marti, the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen, was quoted as saying in the statement.

'Women, children and elderly people are among those left without vital aid in areas where fighting is taking place.'

'Unless more is done to protect civilians and enable them to receive life-saving aid, the situation will worsen further,' he said.

The ICRC said in its statement that up to 17,000 people who are reportedly stranded in al-Buqa' district on the Saudi border 'still cannot be safely reached.'

The committee further said that increasing numbers of people were seeking refuge in three camps it runs in cooperation with the Yemen Red Crescent Society in the districts of al-Ihsa, Sam and al-Talh around the provincial capital of Saada.

'Many others have no choice but to live in abandoned buildings, schools, damaged houses or even in the open air,' the ICRC said.

International aid agencies have repeatedly urged the Yemeni government and the rebels to secure safe corridors for the passage of aid to thousands of displaced people in Saada and Amran.