NEW YORK
Suspension of commercial flights to Yemen is hampering desperately needed humanitarian aid access to the impoverished country, a UN agency said Wednesday.
Humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, said the suspension of flights was limiting access for international humanitarian staff in and out of the country and aid operations at sea ports were also restricted, with shipping vessels not allowed into the country unless inspected and approved.
Yemen's airspace remains closed, with many international carriers suspending flights since last September as the takeover of government institutions and much of the country by Shiite Houthi rebels prompted a military campaign by a coalition of regional powers
Turkish Airlines announced Wednesday that it canceled all flights to Yemen until June 1.
The world’s largest global shipping association, BIMCO, advised vessels on Monday to transit the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea outside Yemeni territorial waters.
A Saudi Arabia-led air campaign has pounded Houthi positions across Yemen since March 25.
The UN reports 731 deaths between March 19 and April 12, but the death toll is thought to be higher.
More than 10.5 million Yemenis are now severely food insecure, of which 4.8 million are facing “emergency” conditions, according to the UN.
