HRW says Yemen’s warring parties blocking aid to civilians

HRW says Yemen’s warring parties blocking aid to civilians

A rights group says the warring sides in Yemen — a Saudi-led coalition and the country’s Shia rebels that it’s battling — are both preventing much-needed aid from reaching civilians.

1 min read
27 September, 2017
Both sides are blocking aid to civilians [AFP]

An international rights group says the warring sides in Yemen — a Saudi-led coalition and the country’s Shia rebels that it’s battling — are both preventing much-needed aid and fuel tankers from reaching civilians.

A report by Human Rights Watch says this is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country. The report was released on Wednesday.

HRW says the Saudi-led coalition has delayed and diverted fuel tankers bringing badly needed oil for power generators for hospitals.

Meanwhile, the rebels, known as Houthis, and their allies have blocked and confiscated aid.

Bill Van Esveld, a senior researcher at HRW, says the “warring parties need to allow fuel, food and medicines to reach the families that need it.”

Since March 2015, the war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 civilians.