MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Any obstacles to the delivery of medical supplies to Yemen must be urgently removed as the victims of clashes and airstrikes need prompt assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday.
Yemen is currently suffering from an armed confrontation between the Houthi rebel group, the main opposition force in Yemen, and forces loyal to the country's president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who has fled the country amid the hostilities. Last week, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition began conducting airstrikes on Houthi positions on Hadi's request.
Earlier on Tuesday, the coalition forces prevented an ICRC plane carrying medical supplies from landing in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
"In order that the wounded get the treatment they deserve, it's essential we deliver urgent medicines and surgical kits," Cedric Schweizer, head of the ICRC team in Yemen, said. The ongoing clashes and airstrikes put "immense strain" on weak medical services, he added.
Earlier in the day, Hadi said he will not negotiate with the Houthis until they surrender and leave all the occupied territories.
