Fighting between Yemen's Houthi rebels and forces loyal to President
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi for the control of the southern city of Aden has
continued, sparking a "dire humanitarian situation".
The Red Cross on Saturday called for a 24-hour ceasefire in Yemen to give aid workers a chance to address the crisis, as a Saudi-led military coalition pressed ahead with airstrikes on Houthi positions.
"We urgently need an immediate halt to the fighting to allow families in the worst affected areas, such as Aden, to venture out to get food and water, or to seek medical care," said Robert Mardini, the agency’s head of operations in the Middle East.
Marie-Claire Feghali, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, told Al Jazeera that her organisation was finding it hard to bring in medical supplies.
"The humanitarian situation is extremely difficult and is getting more difficult by the day," she said.
Feghali added that many wounded people were not getting medical supplies and that "hospitals are overwhelmed".
Yemen has been reeling from violence, with Houthi rebels who forced Hadi to flee the country to Saudi Arabia fighting to expand their control, while forces backing the president are battling the rebels.The Houthis, who belong to the Shia sect, swept into Sanaa last September and forced Hadi to flee his presidential palace for Aden, where he has a power base.
The Red Cross on Saturday called for a 24-hour ceasefire in Yemen to give aid workers a chance to address the crisis, as a Saudi-led military coalition pressed ahead with airstrikes on Houthi positions.
"We urgently need an immediate halt to the fighting to allow families in the worst affected areas, such as Aden, to venture out to get food and water, or to seek medical care," said Robert Mardini, the agency’s head of operations in the Middle East.
Marie-Claire Feghali, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, told Al Jazeera that her organisation was finding it hard to bring in medical supplies.
"The humanitarian situation is extremely difficult and is getting more difficult by the day," she said.
Feghali added that many wounded people were not getting medical supplies and that "hospitals are overwhelmed".
Yemen has been reeling from violence, with Houthi rebels who forced Hadi to flee the country to Saudi Arabia fighting to expand their control, while forces backing the president are battling the rebels.The Houthis, who belong to the Shia sect, swept into Sanaa last September and forced Hadi to flee his presidential palace for Aden, where he has a power base.
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