SANAA (Sputnik) – The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Il-76 plane, with 50 Russian and CIS nationals who wished to leave conflict-torn Yemen, departed from Sanaa bound for Russia on Friday, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Alexander Tomashov said.
“The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s plane is taking 50 citizens of Russia and CIS countries from Yemen’s capital of Sanaa to Russia,” Tomashov told RIA Novosti.
The Il-76 emergency aircraft was previously been used to deliver 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Yemen, including food and tents for refugee camps, at the request of the Yemeni government. Russian Emergencies Ministry planes have conducted three flights with humanitarian aid to Yemen since July.
Yemen has been mired in a military conflict between government forces and Shiite Houthi rebels, backed by the army unites loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, since 2014.
Over 2,600 civilians have been killed since the escalation of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, according to the office for the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
