Local Editor

Civilian suffering in Yemen has reached "unprecedented levels," the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] said on Friday, warning that intensifying violence in the country’s south was hamstringing emergency medical aid.

The ICRC’s mission chief in Yemen, Antoine Grand, said in a statement that, "The suffering of the civilian population has reached unprecedented levels". 

The ICRC voiced particular concern over worsening clashes in the southern governorates of Taiz and Aden in Yemen. 

In Aden and Taiz, "it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to reach affected areas, to evacuate the dead and the wounded and to provide life-saving assistance," Grand said.

The ICRC warned that as the fighting escalated, so too did "shortages of water, food and fuel across the country."

A boat chartered by the Red Cross and loaded with humanitarian supplies successfully docked in Aden’s port on Thursday.

The group insisted aid should not be held hostage by the shifting situation on the ground.

Moreover, the ICRC added that, "All sides must facilitate our access and respect our mandate".