Russia and Red Cross appeal for 'humanitarian pause' in Yemen

(Reuters) - Russia and the Red Cross appealed on Saturday for a military pause in Yemen to allow urgent humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuation of civilians after 10 days of Saudi-led air strikes and fighting in which hundreds of people have died.

Russia distributed a draft resolution at the United Nations pressing for suspensions of the air strikes to allow evacuation of foreign civilians and diplomats, and demanding rapid and unhindered humanitarian access.

The International Committee of the Red Cross called for an immediate pause in hostilities to deliver life-saving medical aid, saying three of its shipments remained blocked.

"All air, land and sea routes must be opened without delay for at least 24 hours to enable help to reach people cut off after more than a week of intense air strikes and fierce ground fighting nationwide," the ICRC said in a statement.

The United Nations says more than 500 people have been killed in the past two weeks inYemen and nearly 1,700 wounded. Residents in Aden say parts of the southern port city have been without water or electricity for two days.

Aden residents said ships from the Saudi-led coalition bombarded Houthi forces who have taken over districts close to the center of the city despite Riyadh's military campaign in support of their foe, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Hadi loyalists managed to push the Houthis and their allies from central Aden's Crater district on Friday, a rare victory after more than a week of gains by the Shi'ite Houthis, who are backed by soldiers loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Jets from the Saudi-led coalition parachuted weapons into Aden for a second day to bolster fighters loyal to Hadi, who fled Yemen 10 days ago and has watched from Saudi Arabia as the Houthis advanced on his supporters' last major foothold. 

The conflict in Yemen has turned the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state into the latest theater for Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia's proxy war with regional Shi'ite rival Iran, a struggle which is also playing out in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.  - Read More

Russia and Red Cross appeal for 'humanitarian pause' in Yemen

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