Turkey mobilized for Yemen, says head of aid body

By Ismet Karakas

ADEN, Yemen

Turkey has been mobilized for people in war-torn Yemen, head of the Turkish Red Crescent said on Friday.

"Both our government and our people are mobilized for 'What can be done for Yemen'," Kerem Kinik said after his meeting with Yemen's Deputy Prime Minister Salem Ahmed Saeed Al Khanbashi.

Kinik said there are nearly 15 million people that need help in Yemen, adding: "We know that it is very difficult for our Yemeni brothers to overcome this crisis without our support."

Turkish non-governmental organizations -- including the Turkish Red Crescent -- and Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) separately launched an aid campaign to raise money for people in Yemen.

Yemen has been dogged by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sana’a, forcing the government to take up temporary residence in the coastal city of Aden.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and several of its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

While the Saudi-led coalition has succeeded in wresting some territory back from the Houthis, the Shia rebel group remains firmly ensconced in Sana’a and in several other parts of the country.

By Ismet Karakas

ADEN, Yemen

Turkey has been mobilized for people in war-torn Yemen, head of the Turkish Red Crescent said on Friday.

"Both our government and our people are mobilized for 'What can be done for Yemen'," Kerem Kinik said after his meeting with Yemen's Deputy Prime Minister Salem Ahmed Saeed Al Khanbashi.

Kinik said there are nearly 15 million people that need help in Yemen, adding: "We know that it is very difficult for our Yemeni brothers to overcome this crisis without our support."

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and several of its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

While the Saudi-led coalition has succeeded in wresting some territory back from the Houthis, the Shia rebel group remains firmly ensconced in Sana’a and in several other parts of the country.