A World Food Programme ship carrying badly needed aid arrived in Yemen's war-torn southern city of Aden today, the first vessel chartered by the UN agency to be able to berth there since Saudi-led airstrikes on Shiite rebels in the country began in March.
In a statement, the WFP said the ship that arrived today carries 3,000 metric tons of food for people in contested southern governorates.
"This is a major breakthrough for our humanitarian response," WFP regional director Muhannad Hadi said. "While we have been able to reach several southern areas by land, docking at the port of Aden allows us to accelerate our response to meet urgent needs."
The group had tried repeatedly to send ships to Aden, but all had been previously blocked by severe fighting in the port area.
Vessels landed in another nearby port, and aid was delivered by road. The last such road delivery arrived in July 14 for around 27,000 people.
The new shipment can feed up to 180,000 people, and more vessels carrying much-needed fuel and food are planned in the coming days.
"If conditions remain safe enough, as they are now, we will be able to have other ships arrive safely and offload," said Dina el-Kassaby, also of WFP.
Coordination is also needed with the Saudi-led coalition, which has imposed a sea and air blockade on Yemen since it began its airstrikes.
The fighting in Yemen pits the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni Islamic militants and loyalists of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is now based in Saudi Arabia.
The rebels seized Sanaa in September. Fierce fighting in Aden broke out in March, sparking the Saudi-led airstrikes. More than 1,690 civilians have been killed since then, the United Nations said today.
On the ground, fighting continues. Security officials and witnesses said that battles just east of Aden killed some 20 rebels and around 10 of their adversaries. Coalition aircraft launched dozens of raids north of the city, destroying tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers.
In the northern Aden neighborhood of Dar Saad, rebels have indiscriminately shelled it for days, killing over 100. On Tuesday, a shell landed on a shack in Dar Saad, killing a family of seven and a woman in her 70s who was near the house, medical officials and an eyewitness said.
