Iran Raps Riyadh's Obstruction of Humanitarian Aid to Yemen
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian sharply criticized Saudi Arabia's lack of cooperation in sending humanitarian aid to Yemen, saying that the Yemeni people are in dire need of such aid.
Amir Abdollahian also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to prevent a human catastrophe in Yemen by creating safe routes for sending aid to the defenseless people of the country.
He made the remarks in a phone conversation with the ICRC President Peter Maurer on Saturday.
Slamming Saudi officials for hindering the dispatch of international aid, he described the humanitarian situation in Yemen as grave, underscoring the necessity for an immediate supply of medical aid, fuel, and food to the Arab country's civilians.
Peter Maurer, for his part, appreciated Iran's concerns and efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Yemeni people.
He said that during the past week, the ICRC has made extensive efforts and held talks with Saudi officials on sending medical aid and food to the people of Yemen "but the efforts have yet to bear fruit."
It was decided during the phone call that the deputy head of ICRC visit the Iranian capital of Tehran in the near future for further coordination between Iran's Red Crescent Society and the ICRC on sending humanitarian aid to Yemen.
Earlier on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, put forward Tehran's four-point proposal to restore peace to Yemen.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies began to militarily interfere in Yemen's internal affairs by launching deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition, including military forces from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt, has killed hundreds of civilians so far.
