Turkish agency distributes aid in war-torn Yemen

By Huseyin Kulaoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Turkish humanitarian group on Tuesday said it provided aid to thousands of civilians in war-torn Yemen.

According to a statement by the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), food aid was distributed to 13,255 civilians in western Wosab and Tihama regions.

The statement said around 21 million people in Yemen are dependent on aid, while 9.8 million are facing starvation.

Noting that health services cannot be provided in the country, it said that people cannot survive without external aid.

The humanitarian group said another 6,000 civilians in the region will receive food aid in the upcoming days.

Since the beginning of 2018, IHH helped a total of 198,556 civilians, including orphans, in Yemen by providing health care and food aid, the statement said.

Turkish institutions and non-governmental organizations such as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Turkish Red Crescent, Turkiye Diyanet Foundation, and the IHH are continuing to provide humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.