Aid ships arrive in war-torn Aden port carrying food

Sanaa - Aid ships of World Food Programme and UAE reach Aden, carrying over 5000 metric tonnes of material.

A World Food Programme (WFP) ship carrying badly needed aid arrived in Yemen's war-torn southern city of Aden on Tuesday, the first vessel chartered by the UN agency to berth there since Saudi-led airstrikes on Houthi rebels in the country began in March.
Another aid ship, from UAE, arrived in Aden later in the day, carrying 2,100 metric tonnes of medical and food aid, security and shipping officials said, adding that oil had arrived at the port for the city's refinery.
In a statement, the WFP said The MV Han Zhi with 3,000 metric tonnes of food - enough to feed 180,000 people for one month - docked at Aden's oil port of Al Buraiqa. Although it had arrived off Aden on June 26, it was forced to wait over three weeks for a safe window to berth.
"This is a major breakthrough for our humanitarian response," WFP regional director Muhannad Hadi said. "While we have been able to reach several southern areas by land, docking at the port of Aden allows us to accelerate our response to meet urgent needs."
The group had tried repeatedly to send ships to Aden, but all had been previously blocked by severe fighting in the port area.
The fighting in Yemen pits the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni militants and loyalists of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who is now based in Saudi Arabia.
The rebels seized Sanaa in September. Fierce fighting in Aden broke out in March, sparking the Saudi-led airstrikes. More than 1,670 civilians have been killed since then, United Nations agencies say.
Security officials and witnesses said that battles just east of Aden killed some 20 rebels and around 10 of their adversaries. Coalition aircraft launched dozens of raids north of the city, destroying tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers.
The governor of Aden, Nayef Al Bakri, said pro-Hadi army units and local allies had managed to take full control of the city, adding that authorities were working to restore basic utilities.
In a statement, he said that Aden was now preparing to absorb the incoming aid ships, and that a technical team from the UAE was working to repair and reopen its international airport.
Ground operations to push the rebels further north from Aden continued on Tuesday, the officials added, with missiles, ground forces and airstrikes blasting rebel strongholds.

• MENA