Local Editor

The Iranian aid ship docked at Djibouti’s port on Friday where its cargo can be shipped to conflict-torn Yemen.

The ship entered Djibouti waters and after inspection by the international organization will head towards Yemen.

The Iran Shahed vessel, carrying 2,500 tonnes of food and medical supplies, was previously bound for the Yemeni port of Hudaydah before Iran agreed on Wednesday to allow the inspection by UN officials.

A trickle of aid, medicine and commercial food cargoes is reaching Yemen yet the process remains slow as more ships await clearance to discharge at ports and logistical chains buckle due to fuel shortages and war.

Before Saudi Arabia launched its US-led military aggression on Yemen in March, the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country imported more than 90 per cent of its food - most of it by sea.

It faces increasing problems as many shipping companies have pulled out and those still willing to bring cargoes endure a long wait for clearance from Saudi-led warships.

Saudi Arabia began its US-led military aggression against Yemen on March 26, without a UN mandate, in a bid to undermine Yemen’s Ansarullah movement and restore power to fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a close ally of Saudi Arabia.