'Urgent' need to end Yemen fighting
July 15, 2015
US President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia's King Salman said there was an "urgent " need to end fighting in Yemen. The two leaders also spoke of "the importance of ensuring that assistance can reach Yemenis on all sides of the conflict," the White House reported on Tuesday.
Obama emphasized his government's commitment to "building the capabilities of our regional partners" and to counter Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. Teheran is believed to be supporting the Shiite Houthi rebels, who have seized control over large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.
The rebels ousted President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in September, forcing him to seek asylum in Saudi Arabia.
In March, Riyadh began targeting the rebels with airstrikes and dropped arms to local forces fighting the Shiite militia. Sanaa's Saudi-backed forces were also successful in recapturing the international airport in Aden on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, incessant fighting has delayed the delivery of medical supplies and food to Yemen's people after Saudi Arabia violated a United Nations-brokered six-day truce.
The UN has declared a level-3 humanitarian emergency in Yemen, the highest in its scale. More than 21.1 million people in the country need aid. At least 13 million are suffering from a shortage of food and over 9 million people have limited access to water.
mg/cmk (Reuters, AFP)