Iran's chief officials discuss aid to Yemen in Saturday meeting

Rasa - The heads of Iran's three branches of power met in Tehran today and discussed the latest domestic and regional developments, including the conditions in Yemen and dispatch of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged nation.

News ID: 2527

Date: 17 May 2015 - 01:16

RNA - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani met in Tehran on Saturday on the occasion of the anniversary of the appointment of Islam's Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to his divine mission, Fars News reported.

During the meeting, the top Iranian officials underlined the need for a complete halt to the Saudi-led attacks on Yemen, dispatch of medicine and medical aid to the oppressed Yemeni people as well as start of national peace talks in the Arab country.

On Monday, an Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid supplies, relief workers and peace activists from several countries left the Southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas for Yemen.

"We are a group of relief workers, physicians and peace activists from the US, Europe and Germany. We are a part of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Red Crescent Society. We are trying to bring medical stuff, flour and water for the Yemeni people," a statement issued by 7 anti-war activists aboard the ship said.

Late in April, Saudi jet fighters shooed away three Iranian cargo planes from Yemen's airspace. But in the third case they bombed the Sana'a airport control tower and runway seven times to prevent the Iranian defying pilot from landing. The Iranian civilian plane was carrying humanitarian aids, including medical equipment, for the Yemeni people who have been under the Saudi-led airstrikes for over a month now. The cargo plane was due to take humanitarian aid to Yemen and take several civilians, who were critically wounded in the recent Saudi bombings, back to Tehran to receive specialized medical treatment.

Iran had earlier sent five consignments of humanitarian aid to Yemen, including a total of 69 tons of relief, medical, treatment, and consumer items

Last month, Head of the Yemeni Red Crescent Society Mohammad Ahmad al-Kebab in a letter to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Amir Mohsen Ziayee thanked Iran for the recent humanitarian and medical aid

cargoes sent to his country.

"I appreciate the unsparing help and relief operations as well as the humanitarian attempts of the Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS)," al-Kebab said in his letter.

He expressed the hope that interactions and mutual cooperation between the two countries' Red Crescent societies would increase in future.

But late in April, the IRCS blasted Saudi Arabia for blocking Iran's humanitarian aids to Yemen.

"The IRCS humanitarian aid consignments are ready to be dispatched to Yemen, but unfortunately Saudi Arabia prevents their delivery to Yemen," Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araqi, IRCS deputy managing director for international and humanitarian affairs, said.

Mohammadi Araqi described the Yemeni people's conditions as critical, and said, "We are in contact with Yemen's Red Crescent Society and Health Ministry and have included their needs in the new consignment."

He lamented that planes and ships are not allowed into Yemen's ports and airports, and said, "Unfortunately, the Saudi government has prevented the dispatch of aids to Yemen."

Humanitarian organizations say they face a tough challenge for delivering aid to the Yemeni people affected by the ongoing Saudi onslaught, because of a severe fuel shortage and difficulty accessing warehouses and safety issues due to the bombings.

audi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 52 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 3,803 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children, according to FNA's independent tally.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

On April 21 and May 12, Saudi Arabia declared end to Yemen airstrikes after weeks of bombings, but airstrikes are still underway.

The five-day truce was proposed by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir last week. Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has announced its cooperation in any actions that will stop suffering in the country.

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