Yemen’s capital has been controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group since 2014. The Houthi health ministry issued a statement Sunday saying the U.N. initially agreed to airlift 30 patients on a larger plane belonging to Yemen’s national airline, but instead used one of its own aircraft with limited space. The Houthi health ministry said 32,000 people are in need of urgent medical and surgical interventions, such as kidney transplants and heart operations. The U.N. health agency said the medical air-bridge operation is expected to continue with another three flights this week carrying a total of 30 patients. Millions of Yemenis live just a step away from famine and rely on food aid.

Source: Washington Post February 03, 2020 14:24 UTC