GENEVA — The Red Cross said on Wednesday it had delivered four truckloads of essential medical supplies to Yemen’s besieged city of Taiz after renewed fighting cut off humanitarian access for weeks.
Taiz has been largely isolated for a month as clashes between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement have blocked key routes, including the Taiz-Aden corridor. The fighting has worsened shortages of water, food and fuel, while hospitals face mounting pressure and scarce medical supplies.
The Red Cross said the delivery included surgical kits to help hospitals treat people wounded in the renewed hostilities, which began in September. It described the shipment as a vital step in supporting health facilities operating under extreme strain.
Christine Cipolla, the Red Cross head of delegation in Yemen, said timely medical care could be a matter of life or death for severely injured or critically ill patients, regardless of which side of the front line they were on. She urged all parties to the conflict to allow safe and sustained humanitarian access.
The United Nations estimates that Taiz hosts about half of the 300,000 people displaced across Yemen by the latest fighting. Aid agencies say intensified clashes along multiple front lines have cut off vital assistance to around 800,000 people.